Today the whole world celebrates Christmas. “Christmas comes but once a year”. This was a term often heard in days past when children were told not to expect gifts or rewards on a regular basis.   

Thus we can understand the underlying theme of Christmas. It is a time of celebration and joy at the birth of Jesus Christ, who has had such a deep impact or influence on our world. So great is the influence of this humble carpenter who lived two thousand years ago, that time itself is measured and divided by his birth as Before Christ and After Christ.   

It is important to go beyond the celebration of a mere birthday and ask ourselves why the life of Jesus Christ has had such an impact on human history and how it can be a guide to a better life for us today. Peace is a strong and recurring theme in the birth narrative of Christ the expected Saviour of the world. In one Gospel account angels come to the shepherds of Bethlehem and announce peace to all mankind as the result of His birth.   

The peace that everyone longs for has often proved to be a mirage that disappears when we approach it. In 2009 with the end of an armed conflict that had dragged on for more than 30 years, peace was the expectation in the people’s hearts and minds.   

But a decade down the line we are as far away from a peaceful life as we were in the time of conflict. A worldwide pandemic that has robbed the world of its peace, Financial burdens that rob us of our peace, political gamesmanship that destroys our peace of mind, the list goes on and on.   

Maslow a world-renowned psychologist whose theories of human behaviour are widely accepted in the world of business explains the reason for our loss of peace.   

He speaks of a hierarchy of needs that we have as humans. First comes physiological needs such as food, clothing and shelter, without which there can be no existence. Second comes safety needs such as protection from violence, health, financial security. We can easily understand why people have lost their peace in these difficult times. Maslow insists that these basic levels, that are essential do not bring peace in itself. He goes on to speak of a third level which is to be loved and to belong. This is expressed through family, friendships and being part of social groups. Again Maslow warns that as essential as these three dimensions are to our peace of mind and wellbeing, they are classified as mere lower needs!   

Maslow then goes on to speak of two higher needs that are essential for human peace and happiness. He calls it Esteem needs and Self-actualisation needs. The need to be respected by others and the need to value and respect your own self. It is also coupled with the need for self-actualisation, which is the capacity to realise all your potential, ability and talent.   

If we look around society today, this model dominates the thinking of business and industry. Everyone is striving to climb this ladder to the top. But the question is, what happens when we get to the top of esteem and self-actualisation? Most people discover to their horror that peace and joy still elude them!   

That is because we are designed for something higher than the material understanding expressed through the hierarchy of needs. All major religions offer us a way beyond this point. Buddhism invites us to recognise the Maya or illusion of holding, grabbing and having as a way to fulfilment and invites people to let go to discover the path to true and lasting peace.   

Jesus Christ the Son of God by becoming a human, living among the poorest of the poor and seeking out the outcast of society shows us another way to peace and lasting joy. He invites us to live for a purpose or cause that is greater than our own self. People of all religions have discovered this way to peace when they willingly sacrifice material benefits and comforts for the good of others or give of their time and effort to raise others with no hidden motives.   

In the midst of discomfort, inconvenience and the ridicule of those who are busy climbing the ladder of Maslow’s theory, they find true and lasting peace.   

So let us go beyond mere self-indulgence this Christmas season and discover true and lasting peace by reaching out to meet the needs of others less fortunate than us. Then we can say from our heart, it is truly a happy Christmas.