Bay Of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1948 THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 37, 24 December 1948, Page 4

Bay Of Plenty Beacon Published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1948

THE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

Tomorrow is Christmas Day and, at this last moment, the Beacon wants to wish all its readers, advertisers, correspondents, contributors and job printing customers a very happy Christmas and the -best possible good fortune throughout the New Year. It thanks them sincerely for their support and cooperation during the year just ending. From a business point of view this has indeed been a good Christmas, perhaps not unequalled in the town’s history, but good enough to give the business community every satisfaction. Would it be too much to suggest that we do our best to make it an equally good Christmas from a spiritual point of view. Let us, at this season, take stock of our whole standard of values, and resolve that in the New Year we will build along the lines laid down in the imperishable words of the Man whose birthday we celebrate tomorrow. Let us carry the ideal of “peace on earth, goodwiil to all men” into “our daily lives throughout the year to come and on to the end of our respective journeys. Let us, by trying to see the other fellow’s point of view, broaden our minds and widen our sympathies. Let us, in our commercial dealings, lay thexemphasis on service rather than on profit, knowing as we do through the Master’s teachings that it is more blessed to give than to receive, that the “give” impulse will take us farther in the long run than the “get” impulse. In the rush of buying and selling, in the gift trade that it stimulates, one sometimes wonders if Christmas is not losing some of its real significance. Do we regard it still as a celebration of the most important event that ever occurred on this earth? Or are we letting it develop into an excuse to boost sales and overload our stomachs?

Such a suggestion will probably be greeted-with pious cries of horror, particularly from

those who have allowed themselves to adopt the attitude suggested. Still it cannot be denied that most of us are inclined, in the course of our celebration, to lose sight of the main point. This is no wowser’s point of view. It is right and fitting that this should be the happiest time of the year for everyone, and we should all do our best to make it so for each other. But, in doing so s we should bear in mind that the Christmas spirit of giving and goodwill is something that was preached by Him whose birthday it is, to be applied to our lives not on one day in a year but on all days; not only in our immediate family circles, but in our dealings with all men. Were that fact to pervade the consciousness of all men, were we to mould our trade, our politics apd all our dealings with our fellows on Christian principles, then this would be a happier world and we would be more worthy to celebrate the birth of One who came as His Father’s representative amongst us to teach us how to live.