At the end of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, when we in the West celebrate Christmas and the winter solstice, there is a paradox that many of us struggle with. It is the manic, materialistic rush that has become Christmas, and it happens just when our bio-rhythm is ready to slow down and we want to go within and, perhaps, celebrate the sacred and the holy in a more contemplative way. The paradox is that our society has created an opposing situation that makes many of us feel exhausted and stressed.

It is important to remember what Christmas is really about, of course, and many of us do when we finally get to Christmas Eve, and we suddenly sigh, when the presents have been bought, the tree is up, and all the festivities have been arranged. There is great magic in that all coming together. We have collected all the trappings of our culture and brought them to the Christmas festival. But we also bring great focus on all that is best in us, and that is what Christmas is about. For me, Christmas time is always a reminder of the inner light, because we gather together to remember the life of one man, Jesus. Whether you are a Christian or not, this man was an extraordinary person. He never for a moment lost touch with the purity of his heart. He has become an emblem, an icon, a symbol, for so many, of all that is best in us.

When I go within, I am reminded that each one of us is eternal. We are eternal beings. When we look at what is happening in the world outside, we worry about it all and take it so seriously, whether it is the political stage, war, poverty, homelessness, global warming or any number of catastrophes around the world. Countless communities and individuals are suffering.

Even people with everything they need are in deep pain and mental anguish. Everywhere, people are suffering. Yet behind it all we are eternal. Not we, humanity, but the spirit that lives in each of us, the light that shines in our eyes, is eternal.

The message is simple: we are eternal. Quietly say to yourself, ‘I am eternal. I am eternal. I am eternal. I can never die.’ Time marches on, but it does not touch that eternity. Nothing that happens here touches that eternity, that pure Christ state. Nothing can touch it. It remains unsullied and pure and it remains within us, within each of us and all things. And that is the most important thing to remember at Christmas, or at any time of year – that we are eternal.