Thursday, December 25, 2008

Reflections on Christmas 2008

What's the message of Christmas 2008? Today, we reflect on its original purpose of bringing "goodwill and peace to humankind".
Our world has been and unfortunately continues to be flooded with tragic news of devastation, human suffering and conflicts. The experts are predicting a less than favorable economic climate for next year or two. The pessimism is creeping into every conceivable corner of our world already. How is the Christmas message addressing these realities?
Although the message of Jesus , the Holy Child of Bethlehem was first received by the shepherds and the Magi from the East, the task of communicating the message retains its relevance and urgency today. The challenge is to share the message of goodwill and peace to the individual person who seeks peace from the bombardment of stress all around him/her and to the harsh struggles and alienation of the marginalised peoples of the world.
This Christmas, the writer has been blessed as in the past, by numerous people who shared their love,prayers and greetings via Christmas cards, electronic cards, SMSes, gifts and in person. The pix shows a portion of these blessed gifts. The light reminds us of the True Light of the star that shone over Bethlehem two thousand years ago. The table clock on the extreme right reminds us of the time that we have and challenges us to use our time wisely in embracing the message and sharing it across the lands and across the seas.
May you experience God's goodwill and peace!