Christmas
Letter from Presiding Bishop
8 And there were in the same country shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and
the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for,
behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of
David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall
find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace, good will toward men. (Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)
Is the fire of awe rekindled in our
hearts at the reading of this wonderful text? I hope so for it is the most
gracious and exhilarating news of all time and eternity! It was a very special
night that first Christmas of 2000 years ago. By the computations of the Hebrew
calendar, our Christmas Eve is actually the first night of Christmas day since
the day began at sundown. “. . . . and
the EVENING and the morning were the first day” etc. (Genesis 1)
At the Passover Seder, the youngest
child present asks four questions, the first of which is “How is this night
different from every other night?” When the youth observe the peculiar
traditions that characterize the Passover feast, including its meaningful
symbols of Christ, it is normal for a child to wonder at them. Of course, the
Jews do not recognize those sign posts of Christ in their Passover, but they are
overwhelmingly obvious to those whose eyes have been opened to the beautiful
mysteries of faith – even a little child. The same awe and mystery surrounds
that night long ago in which Christ was born.
When a little child sees the beautiful
Christmas Tree, the multi-colored lights, the mention of shepherds and of Wise
Men from the East, the candles, and the gifts, should he not be justified in
asking, “How is this night different from every other night?” The tokens
of love and joy, descending from the heart of God to mankind, are critically
important in memorializing the event that is both past and present in our
hearts, and the central truth of our salvation. The symbols are important in
conveying truth!
The Lord Jesus Christ – not Santa
Claus – is the central truth of Christmas. Merry Christmas – not happy holidays
– is the proper greeting. The love behind our gifts is the currency of Christ
and not a bleak winter day. The candles represent the coming Light just as in
the Passover Seder the lady of the house lights the candles and motions her
hands over them toward her heart to bring light into her bosom. The symbols of
God’s Holy Days (the origin of the term, HOLIDAY) are important in conveying
the important treasures of the Heart and of Heaven to succeeding generations.
Let’s keep them foremost in our recognition of God’s Hand of Providence in all
that we do and believe.
May this Christmas be filled with
hope, love, and faith in our Lord and Maker. “God bless us, one and all.”
Jerry L. Ogles, DD
Presiding Bishop
Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
Chancellor, Faith
Theological Seminary
