Have a Merry Christmas and a happy new year
In two days’ time the preparations and waiting will finally be over and glory will shine around because a Saviour is born in the City of David.
Christmas brings for me fond memories of the 1950s and takes me back to Wolo, a small village in Yumbe District, where I was born and spent much of my childhood.
I grew up during the 1960s in Terego where my parents come from.
The Christmas story begins in Bethlehem, Judea where Jesus was born in fulfilment of what prophet Micah foretold: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 (NIV)
After four weeks of preparing, waiting and building up to the big occasion, the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man happens in a manger, in quiet and low-key manner. No fanfare, no exotic hospital and quite ordinary in many respects, except for some shepherds who were looking after sheep somewhere in Judea.
As one of my favourite Christmas carols puts it, “While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground; the angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around.”
“Fear not, said he for mighty dread had seized their troubled mind; glad tidings of great joy I bring, to you and all mankind.”
I had the honour and pleasure to visit Bethlehem in 1998 and prayed at the Church of the Nativity which is today more of a tourist destination than what it should be.
Contemporary Bethlehem is in Palestine and the terrain is predominantly arid, dry and desert-like. There were no shepherds watching their flocks in the vicinity of Bethlehem, which naturally disappointed me.
Meaning and message of Christmas
The birth of Jesus took place almost unnoticed partly because it happened during the hustle and bustle of a population census. According to Luke, “Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
When this first census took place, Quirinius was the governor of Syria. Everyone then went to register himself, each to his own town.” Luke 2:1-3 (GNB). This explains why Joseph and Mary travelled from Nazareth to Joseph’s home town of Bethlehem.
Unfortunately even today the birth of Jesus goes unnoticed in many places and homes because Christmas has been so commercialised that shopping, eating lots of food and boozing take precedence over celebrating the first coming of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.
The message of Christmas gets lost in merry-making and other irrelevant issues. In a nutshell, Christ is the reason for the Christmas season; without Jesus Christ at the centre of the festivities Christmas is meaningless.
An important aspect of the Christmas message is what the angels told the shepherds: “Fear not.”
If all goes well, today will be polling day in the DRC. Why today, when most Congolese are busy preparing for Christmas? Like Ugandans, most Congolese are Christians.
This election should have taken place in 2016. It is taking place two years late! The reason for the delay is as absurd as it is outrageous.
I am told outgoing President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power for 17 years decided unilaterally that he needed and deserved sufficient time to pack and dispatch his personal effects to his new home.
Such is the level of arrogance and impunity which has become the hallmark of most African leaders, especially African dictators. In my opinion, Kabila owes the people of DRC a public apology. The Congolese deserve better.
On a personal note, two days after Christmas, on December 27, my daughter, Ms Brenda Adoch Acemah, will celebrate her birthday. Happy birthday Brenda! May God bless, guide and watch over you this week and always.
Merry Christmas and happy new year
Mr Acemah is a political scientist and retired career diplomat.
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