The challenge of selfless love

Another Christmas has dawned and most followers of Jesus Christ, as well as many others would testify to "a certain magic in the air" - as a popular Christmas song puts it. Christmas has certainly, over the ages, brought thrills and pleasures of a material kind and the debate over the merits and demerits of these earthly enjoyments is perhaps as old as Christmas itself.

But the debate is worth revisiting because it helps very substantially in indicating to mankind the true meaning of Christmas. It helps to define man's true vocation in life and draws the Christian's attention to the multitude of responsibilities he needs to perform but which he had neglected, to mark himself out as a true follower of Jesus Christ - if he has indeed pledged himself to Christ and sworn to uphold the virtues at the heart of Christianity.

Put very simply, absolute and complete allegiance to God and selfless service to mankind define the essence of the Christian faith. If these cardinal qualities are absent in those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, then, Christianity could be said to have failed.

It is not our aim to assess the track record of those claiming to practise Christianity on the basis of these standards but to point out that the mission of Christianity is remaining largely unaccomplished. If this were not so, the institution of war, for example, would not remain a popular conflict resolution option particularly among the peoples of the West and their rulers, a great many of whom claim to follow the teachings of Christ.

Be that as it may, it is our hope that Christmas Day and the message of Christianity would from now on trouble the conscience of humanity and be less a source of earthly revelry than a challenge to the accomplishment of his true identity as a divine being and one who selflessly serves his fellow humans.

The majority of literate humans are now familiar with the Parable of the Good Samaritan which was preached by Jesus Christ to indicate who one's "neighbour" really is. Our neighbours are certainly not only those who are known to us and whose company we enjoy.

It is certainly not those who live next door to us or our kith and kin and friends to whom we would generally do good. No, the revolutionary teaching embodied in the Parable of the Good Samaritan is that every other human who happens to inhabit this earth is our neighbour and should be lavished our selfless love and caring, including those who do not do good to us.

Love for humanity is, therefore, the defining essence of those who claim to be influenced by Jesus Christ and his teachings.

We are glad that some of these points are focused on by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his Christmas Day message. Rightly, the President says that if mankind adhered to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the world would not be beset with internal and international conflicts as well as natural calamities. The President also tells us that Christmas Day should remind us of our duty to work towards the benefit of humanity without adhering to man-made distinctions.

All in all, the message which Christmas Day radiates to the world is that humanity needs to constantly strive towards fulfilling his true identity as a servant of mankind. Humanity may have failed over the centuries in this hallowed task but it is never too late to renew the effort to make love for mankind the basis of our lives.

In other words, to turn a new leaf in our lives and live a life of selfless caring and sharing. It is never too late for mankind to abandon the path of sin and reorient his existence in this direction which is a supreme source of fulfilment and happiness.

Needless to say, these reflections are of profound relevance to us in Sri Lanka. There is a great need to break down man-made cultural, social ,economic and political barriers in this country.

If Sri Lankans could reach out to each other in a spirit of selfless love and caring, all the conflict and strife in this country could be contained. In other words, we need to practise the selfless love of Jesus Christ.

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