The following is the Christmas message from Rev. Derick Richards, Bishop of the Methodist Church of the Southern Caribbean.
“She gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”
At this special and sacred time of the year, it gives me great joy to extend to you and your loved ones Christmas greetings and best wishes as we join with Christians across the world in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World. May the Love, Joy and Peace of Baby Jesus be in your hearts and your homes.
The birth of Jesus Christ, son of God and Saviour of the world is proclaimed by the choirs of angelic beings, and the joyous news is echoed afterwards by modest shepherds in fields near Bethlehem. Meanwhile, a mother and father care for their newborn child. No place for them in the inn, so they laid him in a manger. The circumstances are strikingly humble, yet this baby is the reason for the angels’ song:
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom God favours!” (Luke 2:13-14)
The historical context of the world in which Jesus was born, was one of economic exploitation, imperial oppression, social stigma and petty tyranny. Great power, wealth, and status resided in the hands of a very small ruling elite. Although elites conspicuously consumed and displayed wealth, most people lived much less opulent lives. Some experienced a level of comfort and security, but most, especially those with few or no skills and only their labour to sell, lived precariously around and below subsistence levels. In the midst of this narrative, God himself is born into a poor, vulnerable and somewhat unorthodox family unit.
The splendour of Christmas highlights many contrasts in our world. First of all – it is all about what we are given – yes, what we are given by God. This revelation of glory in heaven is given to people living off the land, dependent on simple blessings found in fields and stables, in caring for sheep and celebrating a new birth. It is they who first hear the promise of so much more than mere survival. They dare to imagine the real possibility of a world under God – a world that includes ‘peace on earth’. The song of the angels encourages them to give glory to God alone and to seek peace with others, far and near.
Conditions in the world today are also marked by contrasts that are as great as those in Jesus’ time. Everywhere we see wildly contradictory instances of poverty and wealth, systems of tyranny and of justice, brutal violence and sincere attempts at reconciliation. Through it all, we are keenly aware of the need for a peace worthy of the name: Jesus!
While Christmas must undoubtedly be a time for family and generosity, Stephen Holmes argues, it should also be a moment when we hear and attend to the Bible’s message of justice and freedom for all.
Mary’s song, the Magnificat, stands first, and is the most powerful expression of this theme. Mary begins by praising God, because, seeing her trouble and poverty, God has intervened. God is holy, and so merciful to those who wait faithfully for deliverance; equally, God is mighty, and has acted to overthrow the oppressors. The ‘proud’ are scattered; the ‘powerful’ are removed from their thrones; the ‘rich’ are dismissed with nothing. In contrast, the ‘lowly’ are lifted up, and ‘the hungry’ are filled. God has helped the people, in accordance with the ancient promises.
When we consider many of the news headlines, it is easy to get discouraged. It is easy to be pessimistic and hopeless, for all we hear about is what is wrong in our world. We see violence, war, hunger, homelessness, oppression, prejudice, bigotry and hatred everywhere. If you look around and look with the eyes of Christ, you can see that there is much goodness in this world. There is a light that pierces the dark, and light radiates from a stable where an innocent child enters the world, and whose ministry and life will change the course of humanity. God chose to come into the world and live the human experience so that no longer our experience of Him would be of someone who is distant from us and whom we cannot relate to, but rather as one who lived a fully human life.
Therefore Christmas is the proclamation of hope in all circumstances even when we feel utterly hopeless. Times when our hopes and dreams are shattered. There are times when we can’t see beyond our pain to grasp the hope He offers. To believe there will ever be a better day on the horizon.
This may include that faithful spouse who has prayed fervently for their marriage to survive, and yet the other spouse chooses to walk away?
The child whose father abandoned the family and yet clings to the hope one day he will have a relationship with his father only to see that father die prematurely?
The woman who longs for a child only to suffer health consequences thus making it seemingly impossible for her ever to conceive?
Or maybe it’s something else. Maybe it’s addiction that robs you of your child’s youth. Or depression that steals the life of your spouse. Or pornography that destroys your marriage. Maybe it is not knowing where the next mortgage payment is going to come from.
How do we find hope when hope is lost? The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed (Psalms 34:18). In this Christmas story we see in Jesus that the God who is with us is the God who becomes vulnerable with us. The hope of Christmas therefore, is the fact that ‘God is with us”.
My heartfelt wishes for a Happy and Holy Christmas, and that the spirit of hope, love, joy and peace enter into your lives and that you share them with all around you. If you are ill, I pray for your healing. If you are distraught, I pray for your peace. If you are worried and anxious, I pray for your contentment. If your faith is in crisis, I pray the Holy Spirit enkindle in you the fire of His love. If you live in hopelessness, I pray for you the gift of faith that you might know the joy of life lived with Christ. If you are mourning the loss of a friend or loved one, I pray you may know the peace that only God alone can give – May God give you comfort. If you are alone, depressed or feeling abandoned by family and friends, I pray God envelop you in his love and that you accept that love and know you are his precious child.
Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year 2019!
