Peace … Hope
THIS Friday millions of Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The occasion is marked by church services, carol singing, and the exchanging of gifts. The latter being a reminder that the baby born at Christmas time is a gift from God to the world. The Biblical story of the virgin birth has been ridiculed at times in the West, but It is noteworthy that the virgin birth of Jesus is also celebrated in the Holy Qur’an. In the Islamic account, Mary gives birth under a palm tree in the desert and she receives miraculous sustenance from God. Upon returning to her village, she was greeted by the villagers who commented on her having a child out of wedlock. During this encounter, the infant Jesus speaks out and silences the villagers and utters a phrase which resonates especially deeply with the Christian community. He said “Blessed is the day I was born, blessed is the day I die and blessed is the day I rise again” Surat Maryam 19.33. Although there are profound differences between Muslims and Christians in their understanding of the role and identity of Jesus, we are united in our conviction that the birth of Jesus was a God event.
Last weekend several hundred people gathered in the desert to sing carols around a bonfire. During this time, children from our church performed a nativity scene - a re-enacting of the Christmas story which ended with them calling out to the watching crowd “This Christmas - don’t forget the baby!” With the demands and challenges of daily life in Kuwait, it would be very easy during the holidays to forget the ‘reason for the season’.
Here in Kuwait, we join with the global community in thanking God for the birth of a baby boy who went onto shape human history in a profound way. We continue to be thankful to the people of Kuwait for their ongoing hospitality to the Christian community. How can we reciprocate this hospitality? St Paul’s Anglican Church has a motto on the cover of its publicity brochure which reminds us, that as Christians we are called to be salt and light - in other words, to be a blessing to wherever God places us. This should be our gift to Kuwait, for Christmas and beyond.
May God bless you during this special day and may Christ bring hope, peace and healing for the New Year.
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