{"id":310426,"date":"2025-12-22T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T12:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=310426"},"modified":"2026-04-22T19:50:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T18:50:04","slug":"peace-of-the-festive-season-and-the-birth-of-christ-an-interfaith-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2025\/12\/peace-of-the-festive-season-and-the-birth-of-christ-an-interfaith-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"Peace of the Festive Season and the Birth of Christ: An Interfaith Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note to Readers<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This publication is suitable for general readership. Parental guidance is recommended for minors who may use this research paper as a resource material, for projects.<\/em><\/p>\n

The author unconditionally apologises for any mis interpretation of the tenets of the religious scriptures referred to in this publication, as a Muslim.\u00a0 Readers are invited to please contact the author for any clarification needed, or questions they may have and the author will be pleased to entertain such discourse.<\/em><\/p>\n

*************<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weaving together, the universal yearning for peace with the specific narrative of Christ’s birth, and seeking roots in both Dharmic and Abrahamic wisdom. Such an exploration is truly in the spirit of “Shanti” and “Salaam.\u201d [1]<\/strong><\/sup><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em>The Prince of Peace and the Universal Shanti: An Inter-Civilizational Reflection on the Festive Season <\/em>[2]<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

\u201cPeace Beyond Conflict\u201d
\u2018Ahimsa Paramo Dharma\u2019 \u2013 Nonviolence is the highest duty
(Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita)
\u2018Blessed are the Peacemakers\u2019 \u2013 For they shall be called children of God (Matthew 5:9)\u201d
Original Photograph Conceptualised by Mrs V. Vawda 2025
This caption integrates:
Hinduism: The principle of Ahimsa (nonviolence) and Dharma from the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, which underpins the Kshatriya dilemma, balancing righteous duty with peace.
Christianity: The Beatitude from the Gospel of Matthew, emphasizing peace as a divine calling.<\/p><\/div>\n

Prologue<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peace is the universal language of the eternal soul, an integral part of the Divine.\u00a0 If the human biophotons are desynchronised[3]<\/a>, [4]<\/a>, endogenous peace[5]<\/a> will always be elusive and never attained. Across civilizations and faiths, it has been revered as the highest human aspiration. The festive season, illuminated by the Birth of Christ<\/strong>[6]<\/a>, is not only a Christian celebration but a global opportunity to reaffirm peace as a shared moral imperative<\/strong>. From the angelic proclamation of \u201cGlory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men\u201d<\/em> (Luke 2:14)[7]<\/a> to the echoes of Shalom<\/strong>, Salaam<\/strong>, Ahimsa<\/strong>[8]<\/a>, Metta<\/strong>[9]<\/a>, and Ubuntu<\/strong>[10]<\/a>, humanity is reminded that peace transcends creed and geography. This paper explores the theme of peace during the festive season marking the birth of Jesus Christ. It moves beyond a purely historical or sectarian reading to examine the narrative of Christ’s nativity as a powerful archetype of divine peace entering the human condition. By juxtaposing this Abrahamic narrative with the foundational concept of “Shanti” [11]<\/a>in Dharmic scriptures (primarily Hindu, but also touching on Buddhist and Jain thoughts), the paper argues that the Christmas story resonates with a universal, antiquity-old human longing for peace, cosmic, social, and endogenous. Finally, it assesses the socio-cultural impact of this “peace narrative,” analysing its potential to foster harmony, compassion, and introspection in a pluralistic world of the 21st<\/sup> century, where the globe is sectored into global north and Global South, the haves and the have nots\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Introduction: The Season of Light and Longing<\/strong><\/p>\n

The festive season is a tapestry of traditions, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Indigenous, each emphasizing compassion, generosity, and harmony<\/strong>. While Christmas centres on the Nativity, its ethical essence resonates universally: humility, hospitality, and hope<\/strong>. The winter festive season in many cultures is a time of turning inward, seeking light in darkness, and yearning for renewal. The celebration of Christmas, centred on the birth of Jesus Christ, powerfully encapsulates this yearning through its core message: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14). This proclamation by the heavenly host is not an isolated idea but a culmination of an ancient and universal hope. This paper seeks to:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Unpack the significance of peace in the nativity narrative within its Abrahamic scriptural context.<\/li>\n
  2. Trace the parallel, profound preoccupation with peace (Shanti) in Dharmic scriptures from antiquity.<\/li>\n
  3. Synthesize how this confluence of traditions elevates the Christmas story to a universal metaphor for peace.<\/li>\n
  4. Analyse the tangible impact of this narrative on societal values, behaviour, and inter-community relations.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    This paper explores:<\/p>\n