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Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, the
Prince of Peace, the hope for this world, was born in abject
proverty. The scene in the stable at Bethlehem behind a third
rate hostle could not have been a greater contrast to the pomp
and ceremony or the powerful influences which dictate so much of
our world today. From those humble beginnings the meaning of the
Christian Christmas message has spread throughout the world and
throughout history. But its beginnings speak so clearly to us
all of the needs of the unwanted, the outcast and the deprived.
During the past year our attention has been drawn to the needs
of those who could be classified as 'the forgotten' through the
publicity surrounding the deaths of Princess Diana and Mother
Theresa. At Christmas in the midst of our rejoicing and our
happiness it is to 'the forgotten' that our thoughts should
turn.
Ireland has always responded magnificiently
to the call when a world disaster is known. We contribute so
freely to the needs of the Third World. But there is a real need
to remember those who lack the basics of life throughout the
year. It is not just thousands of miles away that human need is
felt. In every community, in every town and city in Ireland
there is human need. The poverty trap and the gulf between those
who have and those who have not has never been greater on this
island.
Christianity is no selfish or self-centred
way of life. Christ was born and died for others. This Christmas
I believe the call to all who grasp the gospel of Bethlehem is
to reach out in prayer and practical action to the forgotten.
The poor, the bereav ed, the lonely, the sick, the prisoner, the
minority groups and those who do not know the peace and joy of
Christmas must be the object of our concern. Only when this
happens will we have a right to be called a truly compassionate
and caring society.
May the peace and joy of Christmas
encourage us all to remember before God the forgotten of this
world. |
The famous former hostage, Mr Terry Waite, in
an address in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, spoke of his
years in captivity. For most of those years he was chained to
the walls of his cell, day and night, but an even greater trial
to him was the amount of time spent in darkness for he had to
remain blindfolded in case he should recognise his captors. On
one occasion at dawn he was able to see a clink of light coming
in through one side of the sheltered window. He was astonished
to note that the narrow beam of light was able to fill the
normally darkened cell. It came to him in a flash that light is
always more powerful than the dark.
The traditional Christmas Gospel, St.John 1
verses 1 to 14, bears witness to this regarding the coming of
Christ. There we read those words "In Him (Jesus) was life
and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the
darkness and the darkness has not overcome it". Jesus came
into a dark and violent world but the light of His truth and
teaching was not extinguished even by death.
We need to remind ourselves, especially at
Christmas, that it is our responsibility as His followers, to
shine the light into the darkness of violence, famine,
sectarianism, homelessness, loneliness and such like. Not the
sort of lights bedecking Christmas trees but the light of truth,
of hope, of faith and of love. We should then be able to say
with St. John "The light shines in the darkness and the
darkness has not overcome it". That is the challenge that
the birth at Bethlehem confronts us in the midst of all our
celebrations. |
