Christmas Season 2021: Rejoice in Christ’s birth - WCC

In his Christmas Message, Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, Acting General Secretary of the World Council of Churches reflects on the Christmas story which, he says, fascinates, intrigues and challenges.

“It is a fascinating story, among other reasons, because the revelation of what God has graciously done in Christ for the renewal of the whole creation comes to us through narratives in which the main actors are not the powerful living in palaces, but the humble living in the margins.”

Dwelling on the Christmas stories from the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Dr Sauca says what comes to mind is a “modest couple facing difficulties; a vulnerable child threatened by the cruelty of a king; a pregnant woman who does not find a hotel room to give birth; anonymous shepherds who receive good news from a crowd of angels; a young family pushed to migration.”

“Ours are times in which the pandemic has catalysed the risks of the climate emergency, the systemic inequalities between rich and poor, and widespread gender-based violence,” he says.

As Christians prepare for the birth of the Saviour, Dr Sauca invites them “to repent and convert to new ways of living that express our care for future generations. Let Christ’s love move the world to reconciliation and unity.”