Theme: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes
and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” Luke 2:7
May greetings of hope, peace, joy and love be with you all!!!
The celebration of Christmas offers us the opportunity every year to reflect on the nature of our God born in Jesus Christ. And whenever we reflect on God’s nature, we cannot but be reminded of his extraordinary humility. The Christmas message speaks to us about the deliberate choice of God to be born into poor and humble circumstances, identifying with the poor, so we may become rich in his amazing grace.
The Christmas story is never complete without the emphasis on the birth place of the Saviour who, rather than being born in palatial and opulent surroundings, was delivered by Mary in a manger, inside a stable. And as if to underscore his family’s modest and humble means, the Bible clearly tells us that when Jesus was presented and dedicated in the temple, Mary and Joseph offered two turtle doves or pigeons and not a lamb or bullock.
If we look a little more deeply, this story further tells us that by the time Jesus was born, the royal family of King David had declined from its glory days. He who put all the richest resources of gold, diamond and other precious minerals in the ground and created the entire universe – our Mighty God, the Creator — could have stepped into any palace on earth and yet even the Inns of Bethlehem, had no place for him. And so, God chose for his son a smelly manger with the animals. Unlike us, before his birth, the baby Jesus had the choice of where to be born and who to be born to. God however chose the manger and chose the family of the humble carpenter Joseph of Bethlehem in a small town of shepherds.
It is also interesting to note that Jesus as an adult during his public ministry felt very much at home with his friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary from Bethany, which in Hebrew means ‘the house of the poor’ or ‘affliction’. So, we should take note of the fact that the place that gave Jesus the greatest comfort was the house of the poor or the place of affliction. Little wonder then that he would declare in the beatitudes “blessed are the poor for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”.
This Christmas season – and every Christmas – as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we are called upon to also take care of the poor: for in doing so we also serve our Saviour.
During this festive season, we will be celebrating hope, peace, joy and love and it is my prayer for all of us that these four cardinal Christian virtues would fill our lives in every way this Christmas season and beyond.
On behalf of the Clergy and the Lay Leadership of the Anglican Diocese of Gambia, we want to seize this singular opportunity to wish his Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow, the president of the republic and his government, the entire Christian community together with our Muslim brothers and sisters a Merry Christmas and happy festive season.
Issued At the Bishopscourt, Banjul, The Gambia, with every blessing
