Christmas is a special time of year. Regardless of how much I complain at the rampant commercialisation of it or the moaning I do about the gaudy decorations some people seem to have been displaying since Halloween, I really do believe that Christmas offers us a wonderful opportunity.
I don’t personally follow any of the religious doctrines throughout human history which have claimed this time of year to be one of their most sacred periods but that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate what it can mean.
I don’t really think it matters whether or not a person is comfortable with the idea that Jesus Christ was the immaculately conceived son of an omniscient deity, who was born of a virgin, performed supernatural miracles and who’s suffering and eventual death were a cleansing for all of our earthly sins in the two thousand years or so since it happened. I can respect the message – what Jesus stands for – very much. What Jesus taught, repeatedly, was love for our fellow man. Compassion. And that is something that I have the firmest possible belief in.
Compassion is what makes us feel elated when we see success – such as the many great stories that we saw from the Olympic Games and Paralympics in London this year. It makes us want to celebrate success, even though it’s not ours, because we can see how much it means to another person. Compassion is also what makes us feel for the victims of great tragedies like the senseless shootings in Connecticut this month. We can feel a fraction of the pain that those families are going through because we care about how another human being suffers.
Christmas, regardless of its religious associations, is a handy reminder that we should feel that compassion. We should nurture it. It’s what makes us want to be a better person, that we might lessen another’s suffering or promote their chances of success. It might take a while, but that’s something that I think will genuinely make the world a better place.
So, no matter what your religion – or lack thereof, I’d like to thank you for the time you’ve spent with us here at this silly little corner of the internet. You make me want to see a happier, more peaceful world and you make me want to enjoy it with you. Sometimes it takes some rampant commercialism to remind us to say that to each other.
Happy Christmas to you and all you care about.
wonkey-willy
merry christmas to one and all at tsa
any one for farcry 3?
hol
A great & timely reminder that, happy Christmas to all at TSA & it’s readers :)
tactical20
Are you stoned?
Only messing, happy christmas TSA homies!
Kennykazey
God Jul!
MadJunkBoy
God jul på dig med! =D
gazzagb
Hope everyone had a great day, and have a happy new year too!
MadJunkBoy
merry christmas to all of u!
a little late from my side but atleast u can’t complain about me not saying it! :P
gaffers101
Merry Christmas Peter and the TSA Team. Thanks for all your hard work this year.
Jakster123x
Merry Christmas :)
Tuffcub
Happy Chrimbomus.
The Von Braun
Wishing everyone on here the very best of Xmas wishes.
Hope the day has been great and you’ve many more to follow it, to those who are working, feel your pain (1st time in 10 years my place had a shutdown over xmas, but they are still running on skeleton crew).
Fantastic community on here, long may it continue.
:-) Think the compassion piece came little late for moi, as i’ve now been officially BANNED from my sisters house after wanting nothing to do with her, after way she’s treated my folks over past few years.
Only thing i feel towards her is utter disgust, on the plus side? saving a sh*t load on presents for her and her hubbie at Xmas….