'Christmas' is here. The roads are congested, the mendicants are out in full force, Christmas work is blooming, television ads are unbearably long, radio stations are playing so-called 'Christmas' songs, newspapers are full of ads and inserts, the lights are up, heavily decorated, evergreen trees abound, Santa's image is everywhere, 'Christmas' wreaths, bows, bells, fake snow, "Happy Holidays" signs and banners adorn many public places.

However, reminders of the Nativity and the celebration of Christ's birth are conspicuously absent from most public places and confined to some houses of worship.

We know that this season was originally a pagan holiday and that Christianity conveniently 'piggybacked' on the festivities - however, since it is officially called Christmas it should maintain some relevance to Christianity. But, so many other interests have laid claim to this season and it has become so commercialised that all allusion to Christ has taken a back seat to the shopping and parties. It seems as if the Church has quietly conceded in the fight to keep Christmas a Christian affair. Materialism has triumphed over religion.

God's gift to the world

Churches should do more to advertise the real meaning of the commemoration of God's gift to the world. They should promote, encourage and facilitate the placing of Nativity scenes in our green areas, shopping malls, large business establishments, schools and so on. I feel confident that business interests would gladly sponsor these Nativity scenes as long as their names and/or logos are appropriately displayed.

Churches need to actively persuade the electronic media to play more Christmas carols with reference to Jesus the Christ in them. Modern-day Santa, that fictitious giant elf made popular because of commerce when the image was promoted by Coca-Cola in the 1930s, has usurped baby Jesus. I am sure the first thought that pops into the mind of a child when Christmas is mentioned has nothing to do with the Son of God. This is a serious indictment on our churches and on Christianity. The Church cannot be confined and constrained by a building or membership or even by a commonality of ideas and beliefs. Like Christ, the Church must reach out to everyone without preconceived conditions or expectations of reciprocity.

Jesus was an outgoing, open-minded individual. Our Christian churches, His legacy in today's world, need to become more proactive and treat Christ's gospel (teachings) like the vital 'product' that it is. This is, sadly, lacking in our society permeated by evil. Regarding Christmas, churches must lobby for advertising space and time and get the word out that Santa does not and cannot represent Christmas. This warped economic contrivance must not be allowed to remain the supreme image at this time.

The message of Christ

Of course, churches are performing their usual (read, 'perfunctory') Christmas programmes but the message of Christ needs to be foremost in people's minds this time of year; not gifts, food, alcohol, clothes and parties. This is precisely why those among us that cannot afford the gifts and merrymaking and/or have no loved ones with whom to celebrate, get so depressed this time of year. If the focus were on God and Christ, His unselfish love for us and our expected love for others, the season would not find so many feeling dejected and blue.

A Christian society

Thank God, we are still a Christian society and therefore not restrained or prohibited from putting Christianity into our schools and businesses. Christians cannot simply relinquish their claim on this season - through our personal lives, actions and intercessions, we must reclaim Christmas or call it something else.

Dr Garth A. Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice. Feedback may be sent to garthrattray@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.