December 20, 2010
Hope for the Christian is anchored in the Christmas promise, foretold by angels who visited shepherds keeping watch in their fields by night. The result of this heavenly proclamation was that the shepherds went in search of the proclaimed Christ Child on whom peace depends. They went gladly, even though it probably involved inconvenience and hardship. The message sounds passé and antiquated by today’s standards. What relevance does it have in an era when half the world lives in fear of annihilation from the other half, and personal peace is like a mirage? While the Christ Child’s birth did not bring world peace, the message is contemporary because it strikes at the heart of what everyone desires: peace and joy unaffected by circumstance. Those who take it to heart inherit a fountainhead of grace from life’s Creator. May we all learn to listen to the flutter of angel wings this Christmas season!
