By Surjit Singh Flora

December 25 is Christmas Day and another happy holiday season is coming around again!  For many, it is a time to enjoying the company of friends and family, exquisite tasty meals, exchanging gifts and having a wonderful time together.  Christmas is a special time of the year, to reflect on the year’s events and share hopes and dreams for the year to come.

For Christians, Christmas Day is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ who was sent by God to redeem us from our sin, and to make us all whole and worthy to enter into heaven and gain eternal life.

When the Virgin Mary held her newborn son inside that manger more than 2,000 years ago, she literally kissed the face of God and rocked to sleep the only sinless person in the history of the world.

But many of us are too trapped in materialism and if Christ was physically present today, I know many of us would try to take a gift to him.  However, we must not lose sight of the real gift of Christmas – a gift that presented to all mankind on that first Christmas Day 2,000 years ago.  This Christmas, the best gift you can give back to God is your soul. That is the essence of Christmas Day. 

What is the perfect Christmas gift?  Is it something of high monetary value? Is it some food items? For many of us, Christmas is incomplete without lots of real food — chicken; roast meat, Turkey and drinks. Big or the small business companies give out the parties to their employees and some gifts.

 No matter what the occasion is we often find ourselves looking for the best gift possible to give those we care about.  To show how much we love others, we need to let go of the hurt and pain that they have caused and forgive them.  Love and forgiveness along with second chances are the best gifts we can possibly give to others. 

The best gifts Canadians can give to each other this year are the gifts of forgiveness, peace, love, respect, and smile to each other and forget all the wrongs we believe have been done to us.

But what about ourselves?  We have thought about giving ourselves the gift of forgiveness this year?  Are we ready to be free and ready to move ahead into our life of graciousness and love in the future? We have to let go of our mistakes and forgive ourselves just as God forgives us.  And He does forgive us, completely and with no reservations!
Please have a wonderful, safe, peace and joyous holiday, drive safely!