Christmas – A time for sharing of goodwill

As Christians all over the world celebrate Christmas, it may be pertinent for them to contemplate on real meaning of this very important day in their religious calendar which is often masked by the over commercialization of the celebrations. Like the festivals of all other major religions the single most important essence of Christmas is sharing. It is a common practice for us in our country to host activities to share our joy, happiness, food, drinks and gifts with our friends and relatives which is indeed a wonderful practice that Malaysians of all ethnicity do in common during their respective festivals.

While we spend the day sharing with friends and relatives, we must not forget to share with strangers, people from other races and those who do not have anything. It may not be money and food that we need to share but happiness which many lack these days. If only we look around we will be surprised to see so many in our midst who lack happiness for many reasons. Most often we may not be able to overcome the cause of their sadness but the least we can do is to bring some cheer by sharing with them the little happiness we have. We may not have much to offer them I but is not the abundance we have that matters but to share the little of the little we have that matters most.

One of the most important possessions that we can share is goodwill that transcends race or creed, which is most needed in our country today. Goodwill is what we all can afford to give freely if only we have the heart to do so. So much hatred is being sown into the minds of the people by many who seek power, position and wealth. This has to be neutralized and that can only be done by the people sharing their goodwill with those of other races and faith. 

As we go about celebrating Christmas let’s not forget that most important need of our country even after 55 years of independence is unity among the many ethnic groups and unless we share our goodwill with other fellow Malaysians, this unity that has been carefully nurtured over the years may not be there to be cherished by the generations to come.