Pasko naman...

It was a long line in a fast food chain in Baclaran yesterday. The place was too crowded that people are literally waiting for others to finish eating to have their seats and eat their meals. I was reminded of the night market in Divisoria and the food court in 168 mall. Everyone seems hungry (judging by the look in their faces), but interestingly, everyone was also quietly and patiently waiting for their turn to place an order, have their seats, and eat.

I was so hungry that time since I just had a 2-hour travel from Cavite. I was in the line and the cashier was too slow and a bit dazed. She told me she’ll just deliver my food because it’s still being “assembled”. I told her I’ll just wait for it to be assembled, but she insists to just deliver (which I personally believe is impossible given the long line). So I looked for a seat and waited.

5 minutes…

10 minutes…

15 minutes…

I’m starting to get pissed off because as an ex-crew, I know that it shouldn’t last that (i.e. assembly and delivery) long. I think the others are also getting impatient as they wait for pending orders. As I was about to stand up to confront the cashier or the manager or anyone, a sudden flash of reminder stopped me…

“Pasko naman…”

So instead of bombarding them with complaints, I patiently waited while thinking about how Christmas changes perspectives; how the “spirit of Christmas” creates “random acts of kindness” patience, love, and all that positivity.

However, we also have a saying in the Philippines “hindi araw-araw, pasko”, which basically means that we cannot get all the “fun, gifts and all that” everyday.

How do we view Christmas? 

How do we understand its message? 

And how does it affect our lives.

Christmas eve and Christmas day are mere traditions that remind us of the Birth of Jesus. Scholars until today are not convinced whether December 25 is the real date of Christ’s birth. To me the date doesn’t really matter; what’s important is the fact the Jesus was born; that He was sent on Earth not just to save us but also to teach us.

The real spirit of Christmas is our ability to understand why in the world Jesus came to save us and give us life..and to understand it NOT YEARLY but on a DAILY BASIS.

I thank God for making me experience anger amid hunger because that situation made me realize a lot of things. If only we would prioritize CHRIST instead of the gifts and revelry, if only we would stop thinking that Christmas is just a yearly event, if only we would say “PASKO naman” everyday, then maybe, just maybe this world would be filled with more love, respect, and all that positivity that Jesus brought and taught.

Christmas begins tonight. Let us continue living by it everyday.