By Metropolitan Georgios of Kitros, Katerini, and Platamon
Walking through the city, looking at shop windows, watching school celebrations, certain thoughts arise.
We celebrate Christmas as we would celebrate the birthday of a “beloved” person — yet we keep him locked in a room so that he will not disturb us.
In the living room we decorate, laugh, and exchange gifts, but the presence of Christ is of no concern; and so He remains locked away, like an annoying child.
As then, so now, “there is no room” for the Divine Infant.
Not because we lack “inns,” but because we lack space in our hearts.
We have replaced:
- the manger with shop windows,
- silence with noise,
- prayer with revelry,
- holy figures with elves,
- the greeting “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays,”
- the word “Christmas” with the foreign “XMAS,”
- expectation with consumption.
Christ is born, but we occupy ourselves with Santa Claus, anthropomorphic trees, and Kallikantzaroi.
But how will our children come to know Christ, when we adults have exchanged Him for all these things?
And so, every year, the same tragedy is repeated:
- We celebrate the event, but lose the Person.
- We hymn the Nativity, but drive Christ out of our lives.
- We want a Christ as an infant — motionless and silent, not a Christ who asks for a space, change, and repentance.
Christ continues to be born “outside,” not out of necessity, but by our own choice.
In the end, what kind of Christmas do we want?
Christmas with Christ, or Christ-less Christmas?
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
We celebrate Christmas as we would celebrate the birthday of a “beloved” person — yet we keep him locked in a room so that he will not disturb us.
In the living room we decorate, laugh, and exchange gifts, but the presence of Christ is of no concern; and so He remains locked away, like an annoying child.
As then, so now, “there is no room” for the Divine Infant.
Not because we lack “inns,” but because we lack space in our hearts.
We have replaced:
- the manger with shop windows,
- silence with noise,
- prayer with revelry,
- holy figures with elves,
- the greeting “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays,”
- the word “Christmas” with the foreign “XMAS,”
- expectation with consumption.
Christ is born, but we occupy ourselves with Santa Claus, anthropomorphic trees, and Kallikantzaroi.
But how will our children come to know Christ, when we adults have exchanged Him for all these things?
And so, every year, the same tragedy is repeated:
- We celebrate the event, but lose the Person.
- We hymn the Nativity, but drive Christ out of our lives.
- We want a Christ as an infant — motionless and silent, not a Christ who asks for a space, change, and repentance.
Christ continues to be born “outside,” not out of necessity, but by our own choice.
In the end, what kind of Christmas do we want?
Christmas with Christ, or Christ-less Christmas?
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
