As with the year-end in previous years, I’ve been trying to find time to pause and reflect on what Christmas means to me, and to distill that into an e-card which I send to selected friends.

A few days ago I picked "The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus" up from my bookshelf, a book which I’ve been reluctant to open again because I found the Peter Gome’s writing style somewhat dry (he’s critically acclaimed by others though, so this means that I’m just shallow).  And one of the first paragraphs I read (flipping through the pages at random) was -

"It may be an urban legend, but psychologists and psychiatrists tell us that this [ season, Christmas ] is the season of the most mental distress and depression."

Which reminded me in turn of what a social worker friend told me some years ago - that Christmas (and other festive occasions) is when the number of suicides in Singapore peak, because that is when people feel the most lonely and depressed.

The sad irony of that was lost on me when I first heard it from my friend.  But now it struck me how terrible it is that a time of the year when arguably the most people are celebrating a year of accomplishments, expressing appreciation for family and friends, (over)eating, drinking, exchanging gifts, and attending church, is also the period of time that some other people feel the most hopelessness and despair.

Does this change the message of Christmas (for Christians)?  No, I do not think it does.  But it has made me see a harsh reality and urgency that I had not perceived before.

I believe Christmas continues to be about hope.

The question for Christians is whether Christmas, both in and outside of church and annual traditional church services, is being celebrated in a way which is relevant to people who are really need that love and hope.