Festive Season

It is approaching the time of Christmas and New Year. Everyone is in the celebration mood.

Every year this time, for the past 8 years, I have been wondering (and still wondering…….), what has the turkey done wrong, to get itself associated with Christmas? Then during Chinese New Year, again everyone is in festive celebration mood…….. I still wonder, what have the piglet, the chickens, the ducks done wrong? A few months later, it’s the cows’ and goats’ turn.

These festive celebrations are supposed to be a celebration of love and forgiveness. It is the time for us to spend time with our family, share our love and joy with our family. It is a time for us to break away from the rat race for a while and spend some quiet inner time with the God we believe in. But now, these days become the days of killings. More animals die on these days compare to any other days in the entire year.

While we humans celebrate, the animal world suffers.

Just for a moment, imagine, won’t it be nice, to just sit with our loved ones and have a simple meal, talk and laugh and share the joy? Imagine, won’t it be nice to serve the needy during festive seasons, show them some love and care? Even if it is just a simple act of kindness or some simple food, it would mean so so much to them. Imagine, just imagine, for those who are alone, to spend some quiet moments to remember God, or to spend some time with nature appreciating the planet we live in……

Our world would have been much more beautiful and meaningful during these days.

By Shihan Kaku Rebecca Then