Glory to God inthe highest and peace to his people on earth
Thats themessage of the angels; thats the message of Christmas.
There doesntseem to be a great deal of peace around at the moment. The world is full ofconflict and after the General Election we desperately need to move forward in unityand peace. What can be done?
When theshepherds heard the message of the angels they were filled with awe and wonder.When they worshipped the Christ child they realised that heaven had come downto earth. Maybe we need to recover their sense of awe and wonder if we are toget things in proportion and find peace the angels heralded.
The heavensdeclare the glory of God. Indeed they do even by their size. God is biggerthan we can imagine, as is the Universe. If it were drawn to scale with theearth about the size of a pea, Jupiter would be some 300 yards away and thenearest star would be 10,000 miles away. Then theres its beauty: the shepherds wouldhave been able to enjoy the night sky without light pollution.
This world inall its beauty fills me with a sense of wonder. Perhaps the most wonderfulthing of all are human beings. A new-born baby instils a sense of awe and soit should, for we are made in the image of God.
If all thesethoughts sounds a bit high-falutin, I dont think they need to be. Appreciatingthe glory of God in the highest heaven can bring peace on earth and peace inour hearts. May it also lead to peace in our communities, our country and theworld.
May you befilled with a sense of awe and wonder this Christmas as you contemplate theglory of the creation into which Christ was born to demonstrate Gods greatlove for you. May you be filled with his peace.
God bless youand a very Merry Christmas to you.
Bishop John
