by Christine Decosta

Heard a little girl explaining on radio yesterday that her dad had gone to pay Santa for her gifts. Looks like Father Christmas himself is feeling rather helpless faced with this totally different conception of his heavenly mission these days!

That set me thinking about what Christmas has come to mean to us 2005 years after a young girl in Bethlehem gave birth to a baby boy whose destiny was to save us, mortals? Could it be that his endeavour to be our Saviour was ill-fated from the outset? Well, so it may seem, by the look of our blatant materialism and overt greed?

But come to think of it, can we escape this ferocious Christmas shopping spree? After all, were we not told that love and affection were all about giving and receiving? Er? what was less obvious was what to give and take? was it an expensive watch, a China teapot with matching cups, mp3 player or a digital camera?

We must have spent the last ten days making lists and roaming the gift-laden shops? Does that make us sinners? Obviously not. But in so doing, maybe we?re just not paying attention to the real meaning of Christmas.

I won?t take the risk of giving lessons. After all, I, too, have been getting the wrong Christmas message. But one thing I can?t help reminding myself is that maybe Christmas is all about sharing. Sharing in remembrance of the Nativity, when a baby boy was born in a manger, a long time ago. So long ago in fact that we sometimes forget that this day is all about a miracle. In today?s stressed up world, the miracle would be to find time, that most priceless of commodities, to be shared with your loved ones !

Christmas is also the time to stop and take notice of the sick, the poor and the homeless who are also part of the picture. Often, it?s all about simply sharing the food that?s on your table ? even if you probably won?t ever be awarded the Best Cook in Town Prize.

Oh, and speaking of tables? For those who might be tempted to ask, Christmas? spirit is not about vodka, gin, rhum or brandy. They might lift your spirits at the most but they could just as easily drown them!