By Omar Luther King
Let me share with The Shillong Times esteemed readers an incident about which I read many years ago in a periodical entitled, Our Daily Bread. Two women who were dressed in their finest were having lunch together in a very exclusive restaurant. A friend saw 
them and came over to their table to greet them. This pathetic episode has great relevance in the manner in which we choose to live our lives today.
‘What’s the special occasion?’ the friend asked them.
One of the women said, ‘We’re having a birthday party for the baby in our family. He’s 2 years old today.’
‘But where’s the baby?’ the friend asked.
The child’s mother answered, ‘Oh, I dropped him off at my mother’s house. She’s taking care of him until the party’s over. It wouldn’t have been any fun with him along.’
How ridiculous! A birthday celebration for a child who was not welcome at his own party. Yet, when we stop to 
think about it, then it is no more foolish than going through the Christmas season, with all of its festivities, without remembering the Baby Boy Jesus whose birth we are supposed to be honouring, observing and celebrating. And that is the way many people celebrate Christmas today. In all the busyness – the party-going, gift-shopping and family gatherings – the One whose birthday they are commemorating is almost completely forgotten. Jesus of Nazareth, the Person 
who is love, and the One who taught us to love everyone (not excluding our enemies), finds no place in the tablet of our memory today!
As we move into this Christmas holiday season in all of our good times with family and friends, let us make sure that we do not leave our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to Himself. Let us receive Him, have Him in our midst and give Him the honour and glory and praises He deserves, and indeed avoid the grave danger of keeping Christmas and losing Christ.
The author is a Delhi based author and contributor at The Shillong Times