Letters to the Editor
View(s):In these turbulent times let us recall the hope of that first Christmas
Hope is a waking dream – Aristotle Today the world is in turmoil!
Still recovering from the pandemic, there are devastating consequences of conflict and the scourge of climate change, to contend with. The ongoing war in Gaza has devastated the lives of thousands upon thousands of people and wreaked unimaginable suffering. So, as we prepare to ‘deck the halls with boughs of holly and switch on the twinkling lights of the decorated Christmas tree, the question that will be foremost in our minds is, “Is there any hope for Peace in this fragmented world we live in?”
At the time of the birth of Jesus, that first Christmas too, there was political and religious turmoil. On that cold winter’s night, the angels conveyed this message of peace to the world, through the poor shepherds tending their flock.
“Glory to God in the Highest and Peace on Earth toward ‘men’ on earth – (Luke 2:13-14)
More than ever, this glorious message is key for the world today. Christmas also brings a message of Love, because, God gave his only Begotten Son, to save the world (1 John 2.10). Such love, has the potential to dispel hatred and bring about peace and reconciliation in the world, including in the holiest of Christian and Jewish religious sites, namely Bethlehem Nazareth, where Jesus was born, lived, preached and died.
The central message of Christmas is the Birth of Jesus – it is the new life, that brings Hope. It calls us to escape self-centredness and focus on the plight of others – those caught up in this tragic war and natural disasters, the displaced, the homeless and the lonely.
Hence, we must approach this Christmas inspired by the challenges of baby Jesus, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laid in the manger.
We must be encouraged too by the practical sensitivity of Joseph, and the courage of Mary, in protecting baby Jesus, from the murderous intent of Herod and the wisdom of the foreign visitors who, ignoring Herod’s instructions, navigated a different route, on their return journey from Bethlehem.
With this rich legacy of that first Christmas, surely, our dream for peace in the world, must still be a reality.
Dr. Remy Perumal UK
The Lamb in the stable
It was a most unusual night
An aura of celestial light
Lit up the wide expanse
Of grassland, valley, moor and mountain range
And in the manger where He and I were laid
I found it strange – the little newborn lamb
Awaited with bated breath
Should I bleat? Or hold my breath
In the barn where I lay, not a low, not a moo
A lowly couple – a man and maid
A donkey too!
Lo and behold! A babe in a barn
A babe like me in a stable born
He, the guiltless Lamb of God! I the innocent lamb forlorn
We had much in common, He and I
Destined for sacrifice, meek and mild
This Lamb of God and I
For him, I let out my first joyous bleat – my meagre offering
Breaking the silence of this retreat – the Lamb of God to greet
I felt replete.
Jeannette Cabraal Kelaniya
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