Dec 12th, 2020: Christmas Blessing - Discover Our Own Bias and Ignorance

 How to Recognize and Avoid Unconscious Bias During the Recruitment and Hiring Process - Koya Partners

 

A young daughter of a friend asked me whether Christmas has been canceled this past week.  She stopped going to school the same week, and she and her friends have been doing schooling online since then. She was sad while mentioning that she would not be able to see her grandparents. She won't be able to see her friends for a while either.

I have thought about that conversation quite a bit. In some ways, Christmas has been "canceled" many years ago by our materialistic approach toward Christmas. Covid-19 might only be an added factor but not the instrumental one. It is not the virus that has brought damage to Christmas. We have played an important role in lessening the meaning of Christmas.

Maybe we will be able to be free from the stress of rushing around this Christmas due to many restrictions. We will have more time to go back and ponder on the biblical account of Jesus' birth. Sometimes we have to be taken out of our daily routine so we can see things better and in a different light. Maybe it is time to learn how to receive the best gift of all.

I don't appreciate it when people use the phrase "Cancelling Christmas" while talking about how Christmas might be this year. Some years ago, some stores would forbid their employees to say "Merry Christmas" to clients because it is not politically correct. They had to use "Happy Holidays". So why don't we hear people talk about "Cancelling the Holidays"? Interesting, isn't it?

Having a chance to discover our own bias and ignorance might be another blessing this Christmas.

John 8: 30-31
"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.""

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