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Messages of peace and joy during a most holy time of the year

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Laura NewellThe West Australian
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Anglican Archbishop of Perth Kay Goldsworthy (black outfit), Moderator of the Uniting Church of WA, Susy Thomas (gold jacket), and director of ministries Baptist Church of WA, Reverend Victor Owuor (blue suit).
Camera IconAnglican Archbishop of Perth Kay Goldsworthy (black outfit), Moderator of the Uniting Church of WA, Susy Thomas (gold jacket), and director of ministries Baptist Church of WA, Reverend Victor Owuor (blue suit). Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian

To varying degrees, all of us have experienced the effects of COVID-19. Loss of income, jobs and friends, and isolation from loved ones have led to anxiety and stress, and this can make us doubt whether we are going to see a worthwhile end to our present situation.

More than 2000 years ago, people were experiencing a similar feeling of uncertainty. In the Gospel of Luke 2:10-14, an angel said to shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

In context, this message was hugely significant. At that time, the nation of Israel, and the shepherds themselves, were anxiously longing for freedom when the angel brought the good news. Romans occupied Israel when Jesus was born, and everyone was longing for freedom from the Roman rule, political oppression and spiritual tension that affected their lives. Added to this, that shepherds were the forgotten people of society and would have felt abandoned both by their own people and by God.

What good news the announcement of the Saviour’s birth was to very needy people at the time, and that news is still good for us today.

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It is Christmas time again. The same good news of Jesus’ arrival goes out. Are we hearing it? Could it be the message of God, through Jesus, coming to be with us, proclaimed every Christmas, is like the radio waves that make our televisions work. These radio waves are all around us all the time — they never cease. But, to access them, to benefit from them, we need to tune in to them. When that happens, the message of Christmas — that God has come to show favour and kindness to people — is heard afresh.

The shepherds heard the message of the angels. They took action by getting up and finding the baby Saviour, who was called Emmanuel, which means “God with us”.

In the anxious and overwhelming time we live in, we too can stop and reflect, and not miss the Christmas message. We can tune in and hear afresh the good news —the Saviour has been born, experienced death and been raised to life again, and he is with us — He is Christ, the Lord. And we can act on this good news by getting up and following Him. God has come to be with us! Merry Christmas, and God bless you.

Reverend Victor Owuor, Director of Ministries, Baptist Churches Western Australia

As our knowledge of the universe expands and its immensity presses more and more on our consciousness, the Christian belief in God as the creator correspondingly becomes more mysterious and overwhelming. We are constantly led to realise God is always greater than we can begin to grasp.

How much more amazing, then, is the Christian belief that when God steps into our human story and becomes one with us, God does so not in power, glory and majesty but in weakness, humility and poverty.

The idea that God, the creator of all that is, is revealed to us in a tiny, helpless, fragile baby is almost shocking. It certainly overturns our understanding of the meaning and privileges of authority, power and wealth.

It also alerts us to the need to look beyond the surface to what lies beneath. It is very easy for us to be impressed, or repelled, by outward appearances but this, of course, leaves us open to the danger of missing the hidden depths which lie beyond the surface impressions. This is true of the joyful moments in our lives when everything seems right with the world and we feel at peace with ourselves. It is also true of the difficult moments when we are perhaps overwhelmed by sadness, by failure, or by confusion. This has been the experience of many as we continue to grapple with the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and especially now as we look towards the imminent opening of our borders. What will our “new normal” look like? How will we cope with the challenges which lie ahead? So much is uncertain, and uncertainty can easily breed fear.

The Christmas narrative offers an antidote to this fear. Reflection on the story of a child who was born in obscurity, lived in simplicity and died in agony, but whose influence for good continues to be felt powerfully all over the world, is an invitation to look beyond appearances to what might lie hidden underneath. It is a call to live life purposefully and to experience things deeply. It is a reason to hope. Moments of crisis, such as the pandemic, bring great suffering, but somehow they also have the potential to bring out the best in us: in our patience, our care for others, our willingness to make sacrifices for the common good of all. These qualities often lie hidden beneath the surface of our lives, waiting to emerge if we reflect on the deeper meaning of the realities we face. This is what the Christian tradition tells us the mother of Jesus did. She pondered all that happened to her, and she treasured these things in her heart (Luke 2:19).

May Christmas be a time when all of us take the opportunity to ponder the story of our own lives, treasuring all that is good, responding to the challenges we all face, and living in gratitude and hope.

Director of ministries Baptist Church of WA, Reverend Victor Owuor (blue suit). Kelsey Reid
Camera IconDirector of ministries Baptist Church of WA, Reverend Victor Owuor (blue suit). Kelsey Reid Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian

Most Rev Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth

One of the things I have missed most during the period of the pandemic has been the joy of flying. Not so much the destination, but more about the sense of wonder and awe I experience flying over oceans and deserts, mountains and valleys, cities and remote wilderness. Experiences like these have only been possible in the past century — and on a mass scale, only in my lifetime and yours.

I especially enjoy flying at night when the marvels of the heavens are revealed in ways not fully possible when on the ground, whether it be the brightness of a full moon, or on a dark night, the spectacular vistas of star-filled heavens.

Professor Brian Cox in his recently completed TV series Universe captured my imagination as he led viewers on an unfolding journey to rogue planets, fossilised stars and black holes, more massive than a million suns. Underlined were the huge advances in our understanding of the universe, allowing us to be taken to places no one knew existed even 10 years ago.

When it comes to exploration of not only our universe, but beyond, religious, political or ideological persuasion, culture or skin colour, pale into insignificance, as we realise we all share life together on this fragile planet and the threats to its very existence are the responsibility of us all.

Every culture from the beginning of time has created stories and legends about the dawn of creation and the coming of light. The opening words of Genesis in the Hebrew scriptures, embraced by Christians, tell such a story: “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept the face of the waters. Then God said ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3)

In the Christian scriptures, the opening words of the Gospel of John reflect the Genesis tradition: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Then, a little later, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9)

It is the coming of God’s light to the world that we celebrate at Christmas. Christmas tells us God was with us from the very beginning of time and that God is with us now, in the person of Jesus, who those of faith say is “the light of the world”.

It is reflected in the humble scene of a child in a manger. It is heralded by the visit of the wise men following a bright star in the same heavens that we gaze upon. It is underlined by the humble and dispossessed, not the rich or powerful, being invited to look upon the one born to bring to fruition God’s hope for all people.

I am a firm believer the birth of Jesus, and the man he became, heralded a new way of understanding that we and all creation share a common purpose.

My prayer is that this Christmas we might all be truly one, whether of faith or not, in our pursuit of a better world and of better relationships with each other. It is the core message of Jesus and is the real reason for the season.

May you experience a blessed Christmas, and let us together embrace the year that is to come.

Moderator of the Uniting Church of WA, Susy Thomas.
Camera IconModerator of the Uniting Church of WA, Susy Thomas. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian

Susy Thomas, Moderator, Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of Western Australia

Festive lights are shining brightly. There is an air of excitement and some rays of hope now that West Australians know long-awaited reunions won’t be too far away. Yet this Christmas will again be challenging for many families.

Christmas is traditionally a time when we deck the halls with love and laughter. We come together in a spirit of harmony and joy, exchanging presents and giving the gift of time.

Christmas is a time of gratitude and connection.

For many this Christmas, those connections will again be virtual, not in-person. We remain grateful for modern technology, but the prospect of another Zoom catch-up has lost its novelty factor. For others, loneliness is a fact of life that has nothing to do with the pandemic, and technology can’t soothe it.

It’s been another confronting year of change. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are not quite done with us yet. Change brings its own opportunities. It is up to each and every one of us to choose how we respond. So, what’s our response going to be this Christmas?

Anglican Archbishop of Perth Kay Goldsworthy.
Camera IconAnglican Archbishop of Perth Kay Goldsworthy. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian

This has been a challenging period in history — a life-changing experience. Even in Western Australia — arguably the safest place on Earth — we hear every day of the loved ones that have been lost and the increase in isolation. The pandemic has had a profound impact on our community’s mental, emotional and spiritual health.

We can support each other. We can give care, love and friendship to others in Jesus’ name. We can keep doing his work of bringing down all kinds of borders, for the sake of hope and joy.

Even where borders are opening, there is still significant concern and uncertainty.

But there is one certainty we can all count on to give us hope and joy this Christmas, and that is the steadfast promise God gave us with the birth of Jesus Christ.

The most significant border to come down at Christmas is the border taken down by God’s love. Love bridges the gap between God and humanity.

The son of God was sent to Earth to bring hope to the human race. Hope that we are loved and that we have purpose in the present. Hope that our past failures will be forgiven, and we will be transformed in God’s love.

Christmas tells the story of how God became a human child, born to a loving couple in circumstances in which they never expected to find themselves. Jesus dedicated his earthly life to showing us how to serve others. He gave his life to offer us salvation and a path to eternal joy.

In a world that is often short on hope and joy, the birth of Jesus is the ultimate Christmas gift.

The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO, Anglican Archbishop of Perth

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