Throughout its entire history, Jamaicans have celebrated the Christmas season in the manner in which they have been conditioned. That way has been generally two-tiered, one religious and the other commercial. The former celebration has reinforced many false doctrines while the latter has capitalised on the former, maintaining the so-called superiority of Euro-Americans while funnelling black wealth to them and making black people poorer. The second decade of the 21st century is about to begin and Jamaicans seem to be worse off today than they were in 1962 when they gained Independence from England. At the same time, there is a Great Recession raging, which for many Jamaicans is no different from the Great Depression which ran globally from about 1929 to 1940. Add to that the seeming spiritual slumber of Jamaica’s churches and the only fitting description for the island is for nostalgic citizens to declare: “Jamaica mash up.” Worst of all, the political leadership in Jamaica today is the most inept it has been in the history of the nation, both in government and Opposition. The time has long passed for individual Jamaican citizens to take matters in their own hands and begin to enact changes to help Jamaica emerge from its current socio-political black hole. Christmas season is a good time to start.

The first significant change that Jamaicans can make is to re-evaluate their thoughts about Christmas celebration at church. Do these plays, songs, Bible readings, decorations, and other carryings-on really help Jamaicans improve their lives? A better way to celebrate Christmas at church is to remember not the Baby Jesus but the true essence of the teachings and practices of Christ. Theologically and philosophically, it could be argued that what Jamaicans now celebrate is “Jesus-mas” and not Christmas. Instead of empty, meaningless, hypnotic indulgences into carols and other seasonal platitudes, spiritual lovers of Christ and His standards should insist that the season at their church be spent doubling up on the words, deeds and attitudes that promote the Christ of Christmas. For example, declare a Christmas change in attitude from gun violence, crime and murders to a season of peace and do whatever is in the powers of true Christ-followers to help stem the murders on the island. That might mean sharing information with trusted police personnel in an effort to rid the community of crimes. Also, declare a time of sharing and caring, daring to restore the old Jamaican practice of helping neighbours in need of food, shelter, clothing, health and other necessities. I have touching childhood memories of my country church in which some people would complain about not having shoes but one member, Mass Tom, who had no feet, would go out of his way to give me gifts of eggs and other goodies from his farm, whenever I would visit him and his wife in their humble dwelling. Why waste money on fancy lights, making the already money-grabbing power company richer when there are members who have urgent basic needs that the church could meet? Instead of so-called Christmas lights, put up a banner saying: “Using Lights Money To Help The Poor, For Christ’s Sake”.

Another major change that ordinary Jamaicans could make this Christmas season is to refrain from giving gifts to people who have no need of them and instead focus on friends and family members who are suffering. Is it really necessary for business establishments to spend hundreds of thousands of scarce dollars on big bashment parties to celebrate Baby Jesus? It might be better for business owners to ask themselves if they are paying their workers fair wages and if not to make amends, like Zacchaeus did in the story Jesus told in Luke 19. Workers have bills that are long overdue, and helping with monetary bonuses to ease their financial burdens would certainly be appreciated above Christmas parties. For example, some workers might have children with overdue examination fees at the University of Technology. Why not pay those fees in lieu of partying this Christmas? Better yet, instead of government and private sector wasting money on meaningless Christmas decorations, why not donate those funds directly to meeting people’s needs. I say directly because I am quite suspicious of many of these large, global organisations that claim to be helping the poor but whose CEOs and other managers draw down huge salaries from money meant to help the needy. Wake up, Jamaicans! Many of those so-called helping agencies are helping themselves to poor people’s money and living like Hollywood stars. One thing Jamaicans have enough of is knowledge of what the Christ Jesus would do in times like these when so many Jamaicans are hurting economically. He would forget about bright lights, plastic white Santas, and all that sickening stuff and help the needy.

Finally, is it too much to ask poor Jamaicans to celebrate Christ by meditating more on what He taught, practised, and stood for rather than wasting money on decorations and celebrations? Numerous economic, socio-political and religious trickeries are already embedded in the Jamaican society to hurt poor people and make rich people richer. Commercialising Christmas celebration is among the top two. It will be a very merry Christmas when more Jamaicans understand why Jesus could not have been born on December 25; why shepherds would hardly be in the fields watching sheep graze at night time in the heart of winter; why no white Baby Jesus could have been laid in a manger and soon after be hiding among black Egyptians in Africa; and why it took Catholic Pope Julius I some 350 years after Jesus’ birth to declare December 25 as the day to celebrate. There is no harm in commemorating the Christ’s birth with reggae music, domino games, moderate eating and drinking and having Jamaican-style nice time. However, it might be wise this year to change some celebrations to be more realistic and Christ-honouring, for God’s sake.

INMerv@hotmail.com