Celebrate this Christmas with generosity and compassion

By Dr Remy Perumal

With the effects of the pandemic, economic crisis and runaway inflation being felt by all, it feels like Christmas in a time of crisis.

In these uncertain times, families have to contend with the phenomenal rise in the cost of living and huge increase in the prices of fuel and energy, redundancies, job losses and loss of homes. Annual family gatherings are hampered by prohibitive travel costs,  and many elderly parents are isolated and lonely at Christmas.

The Christian message ‘Peace on earth goodwill to men’ must signify that Christmas is a time for celebrating the best of humanity – of generosity, self-sacrifice and kindness. Therefore, instead of spend, spend, spend, on food, drink and gift giving at Christmas, this year, it would be the perfect opportunity for those with means, to shift their spending habit, deciding to spend less on themselves.

This Christmas, kindness and compassion towards those in need is more important than ever. Consider including someone living on their own, in the family Christmas festivities. Such kindness would be very much appreciated.

I am not ‘pontificating from the pulpit’, but sharing my own personal experience, of what would have been, a Christmas in isolation, far away, from family and friends.

For my wife, daughter and I, our first Christmas in the UK in 1970, was a challenging one. In my first job as a junior doctor, on an 80-hour week without any overtime, my take home pay was 80 pounds – one half went on rent. Being the newest recruit, I was given the  ‘resident doctor on call’ shift, on Christmas Eve. Whilst I was on duty, my wife rang because my daughter became unwell. My only option was to ask her to bring the little one to hospital to stay with me in the ‘on call’ room and so she did.

That night it snowed heavily and when I finished my duty shift at nine on Christmas morning, we stepped out into a foot of snow outside. We had warm winter coats, but no winter boots.

It was a bank holiday and there were no buses. It was a treacherous, tiring one-mile walk to the underground station, carrying the toddler and our overnight cases, slipping and sliding all the way. We arrived at the station, only to discover that the trains were on a very limited service, too. Eventually, we got to our flat about midday –  cold, exhausted and very hungry.  We had planned a frugal Christmas, just the three of us. We had a small Christmas tree and one toy -  a little teddy, for our daughter, all obtained with green shield stamps we had saved.                    

We were pleasantly surprised to be invited for Christmas lunch by our landlord and his wife.  6000 miles away from family, this kind gesture, understandably made a tremendous difference to our Christmas day.

“Sometimes when we are generous in small barely detectable ways it can change someone else’s life forever” – Margaret Cho

Whilst we celebrate without overindulgence and within one’s means, and enjoy the childlike love of the season bringing the magic, the love and joy of it all, let’s remember those in desperate need around us.

Today, Christmas festivities are hijacked by the commercial hype and the purchasing mania. We tend to forget that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus – the new life that gave hope to mankind. This Christmas, it is the perfect opportunity to shift the focus of our celebration to its religious significance.

Religious  observances at Christmas, did always,  take centre stage in our lives. Family culinary preparations and household cleaning and decorations always culminated in attending Midnight mass.  Therefore, when the church bells ring out the ‘message of great joy’ we could still share the wonder of Mary and Joseph watching over baby Jesus, laid in the manger, that first Christmas.

  “O come let us Adore Him”

 ’Tis a season to be jolly ‘, one of merriment, featuring all things festive and material –  fabulous gifts, decorations and strings of twinkling lights. This may not be the theme, this Christmas. Make  compassion and kindness your Christmas  gift !