Reclaiming The Real CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Ebony, Dec, 1998

Sometimes the meaning of Christmas gets lost in the shuffle. People judge the importance of the holiday by how many gifts they receive, how much food they consume and how many parties they attend. But since the days of slavery, Christmas in Black America has been a sacred time of rededication to the spirit of truth and freedom. Since that time, Blacks and Christmas have gone through a number of tranformations, but the spirit of the season remains unchanged. On the following pages, five of the nation's most prominent religious leaders, in alphabetical order, share what the holiday season means to them and what we should do to reclaim the spirit of Christmas.

Bishop Vinton R. Anderson

President of the World Council of Churches, Presiding Bishop 2nd Episcopal District, AME Church

Christmas is the primary gift-giving season when merchants have meticulously arranged their merchandise to assist customers in choosing the perfect gift for the right person. Each year choosing becomes more difficult, because over the years scientific and technological achievements have given new shape to the marketplace. The creative and inventive mind has tried to leave no stone unturned in producing what might be considered the perfect gift.

Now we talk about virtual reality, but the truth is, our reality is marked by human imperfection. For in the end, we cannot know what is ultimately best for another. We humans have not used our gifts to secure the perfect environment for the whole inhabited earth, so we continue in a state of conflict, while self-indulgence almost always defines the human situation. We need a sign of hope!

For those who claim Christmas for its true meaning, the coming of the Christ child brings that hope. The apostle Paul writes, "God was, in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world." II Corinthians 5:19 (CEV)

Coming to the end of the millennium, the beginning of the 21st century signals to us that our work of making peace with God and one another is unfinished. Yet we do not despair, for Christmas will come again and again to remind us that God's incarnation in Jesus Christ--God's perfect gift--makes possible the impossible.

The Rev. Dr. Suzan D. Johnson Cook

Senior Pastor, Bronx Christian Fellowship Baptist Church, Bronx, N.Y., and the only minister named to the President's Racial Advisory Board

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. First, as a Christian I rejoice in the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I start becoming excited when the Advent Season approaches, because those four weeks allow me to prepare spiritually for the "coming of the Lord" in my own life and for new spiritual birth.

As a pastor, I see the joy and love of God exhibited in such a wonderful way. From the wonderful Christmas hymns and children's songs to the pageantry, there is an excitement that cannot be compared with any other time of year. And we end the year and the Christmas week with Watchnight Service, which is my very favorite service, as we collectively thank God for the past year we had, and for the New Year which is before us.

As a New Yorker, Christmas allows me to see New Yorkers at their "nicest" moments. Somehow the guards are dropped and the "edge" softens a bit. People speak to and smile at one another and truly embrace the Christmas spirit. New York is also very beautifully decorated and the streets and sidewalks are absolutely breathtakingly brilliant. It is a sight to behold! Often my family and I check into a hotel near Rockefeller Center and playfully enjoy our City and the many great attractions that we normally do not get to see during the year.

But most of all, I love Christmas because of the family Spirit. As a daughter, aunt, sister, wife and mother, all of our family comes together to thank God, exchange gifts and eat my mother's great cooking. I have the two youngest children in our family; two sons, Christopher (age 3) and Samuel (age 6). My husband and children really love to decorate our home and pick out the tree. The family really enjoy their excitement as they open their gifts. And even though we all exchange gifts we recognize together the greatest gift, Jesus Christ. When the table is set before us, we join hands and each gives a tribute of thanks to God for his gift of life to us and for our gift of love for one another, and then we all bless the food that God has so generously provided. Christmas is a wonderful time of year.

The Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson

Founder/President of the Rainbow/Push Coalition

Christmas is a sacred occasion, a divine gift when oppressed people look forward to the promised birth of an emancipator. That's why Isaiah, 740 years before the birth, predicted that a child would be born and the government would be on his shoulder and "his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

The King James version changed the original meaning of that text by taking away the promise of political emancipation.