“Twas the night before Christmas and after a search, the Mitchell’s found Dennis and took him to church…”
I remember this little ditty from a “Dennis the Menace” comic of the 1960s. It shows an attitude that seems to have faded from our society these days.
Perhaps as “Dennis” and all of us other youngsters of the time have become parents and grandparents, we’ve drifted from thinking about the true Christmas message amid the often-chaotic world we seem to inhabit, and more so via our multi-channel TV sets and computers. Wars and rumours of wars, people taking sides, often fueling hatred; concern for our futures and that of our kids and grandkids and upcoming generations; all of this can take its toll on our thoughts leading us even to despair for the future.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago, the country had been overrun by an invading army. People were being killed, murdered! Local allegiances were strongly divided as they had been over preceding decades and even centuries. Most people were concerned for their futures and those of their families and friends – sound familiar? Yet into this chaos a child was born in a stinking stable, and his parents used an animal feed-trough as his little bed, his cradle.
Many of us have heard this narrative and the part of the wise immigrant kings that recognised the importance of the baby (named Jesus) and brought him expensive presents. But even these kings were caught up in the politics of the time because the king of the country – Herod – was an unstable ruler and didn’t want anyone undermining his authority, so he had all the baby boys from the area murdered. The Wise Kings escaped as did Jesus and his family, becoming refugees in Egypt!
Yet before the family escaped, there were other people who were drawn to the Baby Jesus, these being a mob of shepherds who were told about the kid by Angels, messengers from God. Amid all the chaos of that time, the angels’ message resounded then, has done ever since and with our help it will continue now and into the future, no matter the chaos the world lives through. The message is one for all people and all ages – “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth PEACE good will towards all people”.
May everyone remember the Christmas narrative and have a Blessed and happy Christmas and a coming year where worries are fewer and true justice comes more fully into this world!
(Father) Chris Freestone
