Christ is born! Glorify Him! Χριστός γεννάται! Δοξάσατε! المسـيحُ وُلِد، فَمَـجِّدُوه
This Nativity night has bestowed peace on the whole world;
So let no one threaten;
This is the night of the Most Gentle One – Let no one be cruel;
This is the night of the Humble One – Let no one be proud.
Now is the day of joy – Let there be no revenge;
Now is the day of Good Will – Let us not be mean.
In this Day of Peace – Let us not be conquered by anger.
Even a casual survey of our society suggests that there has been a blurring of seasonal time and of place. We no longer buy foodstuffs when they are in season because occasional goods are in the supermarkets all year. Modern transport means that roses picked in South America can be given to someone special here in Australia within twenty-four hours. The seven-day working week does not allow for a Sabbath together. There is no longer a common day of rest for individuals or families.
Many thousands of years ago, our remote ancestors looked skyward and there began an enduring fascination with the movement of the heavens. We could say that once we looked above the horizon, Humankind became Astronomical Man, homo astronomicus, star-gazing man. And, of course, it was soon obvious that the apparent movement of the heavens was related to events here on earth.
We live in a visual age. That which is seen has become more important than what is heard. The message often becomes lost in a plethora of images and vision snippets. We have but to think of the election campaigns of both candidates in the recent United States presidential elections. During the lead up to the ballot there was a merging of image and message into a constant bombardment of slogans repeated day and night as media mantra. And this is hardly confined to the United States.
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mat 22:21)
To cast a vote in a community election – local, state or federal – is both a right and a duty. It offers us, as Christians, an opportunity to shape the moral character of the society in which we live.
