Spending Christmas in Tanzania this year, I thought I wouldn’t be tempted to listen to Christmas music so early or to put up Christmas decoratations since they aren’t available in any of the shops here. However I underestimated my internal clock and right around mid-October, the urge to listen to Christmas music kicked in like it does every year. And by mid-November I had pulled out the few Christmas decorations I brought with me. Thankfully my parents brought some more decorations when they came to visit, including a little Christmas tree!
Being away from all the trappings, the commercial side of Christmas and yet still being drawn to it has really caused me to think about what Christmas is to me. What part of Christmas don’t I have here in Tanzania? Well I don’t have the advertisements, malls that are decorated, anything remotely related to Santa and his reindeer, Christmas movies, snow, cold, Christmas cards, Christmas banquets, parties, Christmas concerts, pagents, or even turkey. Do I miss them? To some extent, yes I do. Many of those things bring to mind good memories with friends and family and were also reminders that Christmas was on its way. Perhaps they even became Christmas for me in some ways. Therefore now there are moments when it’s tempting to think that Christmas isn’t coming to Tanzania this year.
So what do I have left of Christmas? The best part, the birth of Christ. Without the stress of braving the crammed malls, going to many different Christmas parties and everything else that kept me busy, I can see Christ so much more clearly. When I pull my eyes away from everything I think I’m missing to what I have, the birth of Christ looms clearly. We are celebrating him. He is the reason I am in Tanzania and now I get the chance to celebrate his birth. Everything else begins to pale in comparison.
I can still have some of my fun traditions and ways of celebrating. I have some decorations and Christmas music. I can bake Christmas cookies and give gifts. I have a great group of friends I will be celebrating with. But this year those things won’t rule my Christmas. This year they will be on the sideline as my focus remains firmly fixed on Jesus Christ.
