Christmas Message 2024–What Is Christmas Really About, Anyway?
Is Christmas the birth of a prophet or a God? Is it a celebration of giving, traditions, or familial bonding? Or is it something deeply personal—a mirror reflecting our spiritual inheritance? While Santa Claus, towering trees, and holiday cheer dominate the cultural landscape, the true meaning of Christmas often gets drowned in the noise of capitalism and commercial mythology.
But is there something deeper stirring beneath all the layers of tinsel? Something timeless, unadorned, and profoundly human? Mrs. Jane Stanford, upon selecting her famed inscription, “The world is new to every soul when Christ has entered in,” understood this truth. She believed Christmas held an opportunity for rebirth—not just for individuals but for cultures, nations, and the human spirit.
I invite you to hold that thought as we consider what Christmas might signify, not as a singular event of the past but as an ongoing, profoundly personal awakening of spirit, thought, and love.
The Biblical tale of Christ’s birth speaks to beginnings in the most humble of settings—a manger shared with livestock, far from the trappings of wealth, comfort, or status. Yet what was born there, as told through Scripture, reverberates as an eternal symbol of transformation. It is not merely the birth of Christ in a physical sense but the possibility of birthing within us a “higher self”—a self grounded in compassion, truth, and interconnectedness.
This profound transformation doesn’t occur amidst the opulence of material success or the applause of societal favor. It often begins in what can feel like our lowest moments—between the humility of life’s proverbial “pig pens” and the humility of a manger.
Our deteriorating national discourse on immigrants and refugees has become an attack on our brothers and sisters, and upon our spiritual sensibilities.
Christmas challenges us to confront who we are today and ask whether we are ready to bring forth something greater. Are we willing to abandon the monotony of past habits and prejudices, to wander outside the “Inn” of conformity to discover a more profound Truth lying just beyond the bounds of comfort?
Much has been said about the wise men who followed the star to Bethlehem, bearing gifts for the Christ child. But their symbolism carries a greater resonance. Within each of us reside three wise attributes representing critical aspects of our unique wisdom:
- Truth: An unwavering intelligence sharpened by pursuing what is eternal and unchanging.
- Love: A peaceful intention to extend kindness and unity toward all beings.
- Humility: A vital reminder that, while we are not the center of the universe, we are an essential part of its divine wholeness.
These inner wise attributes illuminate our choices, guiding us to see life as it is and as it could be—a place where truth governs, love binds, and humility shields us from self-delusion. Yet, wisdom is rarely found in lives dictated by ego and unconsciousness. It is cultivated in pain, shaped in struggle, and ultimately realized in our willingness to walk new paths of consciousness.
Our modern Christmas is steeped in gifting, a tradition that has evolved into an economic engine. It’s easy to connect the act of giving to retail therapy, ribboned packages, and thoughtful gestures to loved ones, but might these gifts symbolize something deeper?
To gift is to acknowledge someone’s presence, to lift their spirit, and to share a piece of your own. Our most valuable gifts are intangible, immeasurable by monetized standards—kindness, forgiveness, understanding, and the willingness to build bridges instead of walls. Every human interaction becomes an opportunity for a gift of spiritual richness. How might we, as individuals and as societies, give in ways that genuinely honor those around us—not just at Christmas but all year round?
America—and indeed the world—desperately needs a collective Christmas. It is not a festival of promotional discounts and obligatory gatherings but a profound confrontation with our collective identity. Can we muster the courage to step into a shared “birth,” one marked by the compassion to see and understand one another not as enemies or competitors but as fellow pilgrims trying to heal?
Imagine an America reborn in empathy for its most vulnerable, humble enough to see its contradictions and failures. This is not a political project but a profoundly human one. It is about recognizing that the Christ, or higher consciousness, continues to be crucified in every moment we uphold systems and beliefs that undervalue the meek, belittle the truth, and erode love.
Although rooted in Christianity, the spiritual essence of Christmas need not be confined by religious boundaries. Whether perceived as Savior, teacher, or metaphor, Christ himself represents infinite possibilities for love, healing, and transcendence. Whether secular, atheist, religious, pagan, or otherwise, Christmas becomes real when we awaken to the truth of who we are and the love that binds us all.
The real Christmas begins within. It is not found in grand gestures of charity or faith proclaimed outwardly—it lies in the quiet, personal moments when we forgive an old wound, extend a hand to the overlooked, or dare to see our enemies as reflections of our shared humanity. The Christ within all of us awaits its birth in these very actions.
“The world is new to every soul when Christ has entered in.”
The old world continues to flourish, with a deplorable President about to take over the helm of our country.. The ills of our time—political divides and TREASON-Trump Reignites the Extreme Anxiety Striking Our Nation, environmental crises, and spiritual emptiness—won’t be solved by more billionaires, consumption, or louder rhetoric. They will only heal when enough of us commit to fostering a new world order based on wisdom, truth, love, and humility. That rebirth isn’t an abstract ideal; it’s a daily choice.
This Christmas, may we pause amid the festivities to ask ourselves what we are truly celebrating. May we honor the sacred—not as something distant and untouchable but as the infinite possibility for rebirth and healing within every human heart. May we carry that spirit into the New Year, forging lives and communities that model love, justice, and peace.
Reflect and Act
This Christmas, take a quiet moment to reflect.
What in you needs to be reborn?
What can you gift, beyond the material, that has the power to heal?
And how can your presence in this world help restore a sense of shared humanity?
Because the real Christmas isn’t about what’s under the tree—it’s about what’s inscribed on our hearts.
Merry Christmas to all, and may you find your highest self in love, truth, and peace.
