For what it's worth, apparently, there is no "war on Christmas" as far
as President of Iran is concerned. And he speaks for much of the Arab
world. His Christmas message to Britain was:
"In the Name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful.
"Upon the anniversary of the birth of Jesus, Son of Mary, the Word of
God, the Messenger of mercy, I would like to congratulate the
followers of Abrahamic faiths, especially the followers of Jesus
Christ, and the people of Britain.
"The Almighty created the universe for human beings and human beings
for Himself.
"He created every human being with the ability to reach the heights of
perfection. He called on man to make every effort to live a good life
in this world and to work to achieve his everlasting life.
"On this difficult and challenging journey of man from dust to the
divine, He did not leave humanity to its own devices. He chose from
those He created the most excellent as His Prophets to guide humanity.
"All Prophets called for the worship of God, for love and brotherhood,
for the establishment of justice and for love in human society.
Jesus, the Son of Mary, is the standard-bearer of justice, of love for
our fellow human beings, of the fight against tyranny, discrimination
and injustice.
"All the problems that have bedevilled humanity throughout the ages
came about because humanity followed an evil path and disregarded the
message of the Prophets.
"Now as human society faces a myriad of problems and a succession of
complex crises, the root causes can be found in humanity's rejection
of that message, in particular the indifference of some governments
and powers towards the teachings of the divine Prophets, especially
those of Jesus Christ.
"The crises in society, the family, morality, politics, security and
the economy which have made life hard for humanity and continue to put
great pressure on all nations have come about because the Prophets
have been forgotten, the Almighty has been forgotten and some leaders
are estranged from God.
"If Christ were on earth today, undoubtedly He would stand with the
people in opposition to bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers.
"If Christ were on earth today, undoubtedly He would hoist the banner
of justice and love for humanity to oppose warmongers, occupiers,
terrorists and bullies the world over.
"If Christ were on earth today, undoubtedly He would fight against the
tyrannical policies of prevailing global economic and political
systems, as He did in His lifetime. The solution to today's problems
is a return to the call of the divine Prophets. The solution to these
crises is to follow the Prophets - they were sent by the Almighty for
the good of humanity.
"Today, the general will of nations is calling for fundamental change.
This is now taking place. Demands for change, demands for
transformation, demands for a return to human values are fast becoming
the foremost demands of the nations of the world. The response to
these demands must be real and true. The prerequisite to this change
is a change in goals, intentions and directions. If tyrannical goals
are repackaged in an attractive and deceptive package and imposed on
nations again, the people, awakened, will stand up against them.
"Fortunately, today, as crises and despair multiply, a wave of hope is
gathering momentum. Hope for a brighter future and hope for the
establishment of justice, hope for real peace, hope for finding
virtuous and pious rulers who love the people and want to serve them –
and this is what the Almighty has promised.
"We believe, Jesus Christ will return, together with one of the
children of the revered Messenger of Islam and will lead the world to
love, brotherhood and justice. The responsibility of all followers of
Christ and Abrahamic faiths is to prepare the way for the fulfilment
of this divine promise and the arrival of that joyful, shining and
wonderful age. I hope that the collective will of nations will unite
in the not too distant future and with the grace of the Almighty Lord,
that shining age will come to rule the earth.
"Once again, I congratulate one and all on the anniversary of the
birth of Jesus Christ. I pray for the New Year to be a year of
happiness, prosperity, peace and brotherhood for humanity. I wish you
every success and happiness."
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
On Dec 25, 2008, at 8:31 AM, Charles Henrickson wrote:
The Nativity of Our Lord: Christmas Day
Thursday, December 25, 2008
The Rev. Charles Henrickson
“The War on Christmas” (John 1:1-18)
Everybody loves Christmas. Santa Claus, gift-giving, time off from
work, time spent with family, honey-baked ham, and the cheerful
holiday spirit. Yes, everybody loves Christmas.
Or do they? Well, I guess it depends on which Christmas you’re
talking about. Because there’s also that other Christmas, you know,
the one that has to do with Christ. And that one isn’t all that
popular with everyone. In fact, the anti-Christmas sentiment has
become so common and so frequent that it can even be called a
movement. And it has even been given a name: “The War on
Christmas.” Let’s cite a few examples.
Item, Olympia, Washington: In the state capitol, right next to a
nativity scene, the Freedom From Religion Foundation placed a sign
that reads as follows: “At this season of the Winter Solstice, may
reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven
or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and
superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” Apparently,
not everybody loves Christmas.
Item, 520 Costco stores, nationwide: Costco says it will not use
the word, “Christmas,” on its website or in its stores. A customer
wrote to Costco and asked, “Does Costco use the word ‘Christmas’ in
your store advertising or on any signs anywhere in your stores
during the Christmas season?” Kory Rosacrans, staff manager for
Costco, replied, “I guess the answer would be No.” No, Costco
doesn’t love Christmas, either, although they do love your Christmas
shopping money.
Item, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: At the Comcast Center, a huge
multimedia show called “The Comcast Holiday Spectacular” features
secular holiday songs, but religious Christmas songs are expressly
prohibited. That’s just fine with Michael Muderick of Havertown,
PA, who attended the show. “We don’t observe Christmas, so I
appreciated that there were no religious references,” said Michael.
“They managed to capture the holiday spirit in a very inclusive and
unusual way.”
Item, Springfield, Missouri: At Missouri State University, a new
rule explicitly bans nativity scenes from being displayed in common
areas. The War on Christmas gains a victory right here in Missouri.
Item, Hattiesburg, Mississippi: A public school teacher marked down
a poem written by eleven-year-old Andrew White because he used the
word “Jesus” in it. The assignment, oddly enough, was to write a
poem on the theme, “What Christmas Means to Me.” So, Andrew did the
assignment. He wrote about what Christmas means to him, as
follows: “The best Christmas ever is when everyone is there. It is
when everyone is laughing here and there. That is the Christmas I
want to share. Christmas is about Jesus’ birth. About peace on
Earth. This is what Christmas is about. It is when He lay in a
manger. And the three wise men come to see. That’s what it means
to me.” Well, I guess the teacher didn’t really want Andrew to
write about what Christmas means to him, since she doesn’t like the
Christmas with Jesus in it.
These examples of the War on Christmas show that, no, not everybody
loves Christmas. In fact, the world hates Christmas--the real
Christmas, that is. But should that really surprise us? The War on
Christmas has been going on for a very long time. St. John told us
the world would not know or recognize or receive the Son of God when
he came into the world: “The true light, which enlightens everyone,
was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was
made through him, yet the world did not know him.”
Let’s ponder that a bit. Here is one called “the true light” coming
into the world, and it says, “the world was made through him.” This
is speaking of the Eternal Word, the Logos, the one who was in the
beginning with God, even the Son of God, the Second Person of the
Trinity. “The world was made through him,” as is found in Genesis
1: “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’” and so on. “All things
were made through him,” it says in John 1. The Eternal Son of God
was active in the act of Creation. And so we confess in the Creed,
concerning the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: “by whom all things were
made,” virtually quoting John 1. The world was made through him.
And he is the true light. He is the source of light and life, the
one through whom light and life came into existence. “In him was
life, and the life was the light of men.”
So you would think the world, the people of this world, would
recognize their own Creator, the one who gives them life and light.
But no. “He was in the world, and the world was made through him,
yet the world did not know him.” Darkness, thick darkness, lies
over this world like a shroud. It darkens men’s minds so they
cannot see or recognize the truth. It is the darkness of sin and
death. By nature, after the fall, men do not know or understand
God. They reject God, hate him. That is the state of the world we
live in. Men hate God. And therefore they hate Christmas--the true
Christmas, that is--because it is God bringing his light and his
truth too close for comfort.
You see, when the light of God shines, it exposes the darkness of
men’s deeds, the things they would rather keep hidden--so they
think--from God’s sight. Men’s self-centeredness, their greed,
their hypocrisy, their lust for power and control, their lust for
other people, treating them as objects to serve their desires--all
the dark recesses of the human heart. Can’t have those exposed by
the light of God’s scrutiny. So therefore, snuff out the light.
Squash it. Kill it. The War on Christmas really is as old as the
darkness of sin in the world.
The true light was coming into the world at Christmas, “yet the
world did not know him.” But it wasn’t just the world. John
continues, “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive
him.” Not only did the sin-darkened world not recognize Christ,
even God’s own people did not receive him. Well, OK, you say, but
there we’re talking about the Jewish people, aren’t we, the Jews of
the first century? Well, yes, that was the case. The people whom
God had chosen, Israel, the people who had all the advantages of the
patriarchs and the prophets, God’s revelation and blessing, the
people who should know better--yes, even they rejected and did not
receive the Messiah God sent to them. The people of God were acting
like the world around them.
But that’s us, too, at least to some extent. At times, too many
times, we the church, we the Christians, we the people of God act
like the world around us. In the War on Christmas, sometimes we’re
fighting on the wrong side. Let me cite a couple of examples.
Item, many Christians’ homes, today: Church members are staying
home to be with family, rather than being in the Lord’s house, to be
with Jesus. But keeping the Christ in Christmas also means keeping
the Mass in Christmas, the Christ Mass. Keeping Christmas means
being here for the Divine Service of Word and Sacrament, keeping the
Feast on this High Festival Day. Skipping out on the Christ Mass is
to go AWOL while the War on Christmas is going on.
Item, your home, later today: When you get home from church, will
Christmas go with you, or will this be the end of it? I’m not
talking about the big meal and the presents. I’m talking about the
light of Christ, the life of Christ, going with you throughout the
day and into the night. Will we walk in the light or surrender to
the darkness? When we lose the love and the truth that the Christ
Child brings, we are surrendering to the enemy, we’re fighting for
the other side, in the War on Christmas.
What to do? Flee to the manger. Run to that little child, lying
there. He is your only hope. He will receive you still, even when
you have deserted him, time and time again. Christ can handle the
attacks on him, the War on Christmas. Look, he endured the cross,
didn’t he, and came out victorious on the other side. The war of
the world on Christ, when even God’s people turned against him--that
took place in climactic fashion when the people yelled “Crucify!”
and Pilate said, “Go ahead.” God was at work there, though,
recreating the world through the Son’s sacrifice. For that is why
the true light came into the world at Christmas, to go to that cross
in utter darkness. The darkness of sin and death, the darkness of
the world not knowing and the people not receiving, the darkness of
God’s silence and God’s no, falling on the Son instead of on you and
me. But by taking the darkness and the death upon himself, the holy
Son of God
was recreating the world with light and life. The true light and
the true life. Resurrection life. Light to walk in the way of God
and to see the truth.
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave
the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor
of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” You
see, Christmas is not only about the birth of Christ, it is also
about the birth of you. Your new birth, your second birth, your
birth as a child of God. That is why Christ came. He came for you.
The War on Christmas is over, really, and Christmas won. You won.
For think of all that Christ won for you: Light and life, grace and
truth, grace upon grace, new birth, children of God. These are
God’s Christmas presents to you today.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
it.” The War on Christmas is over, and Christmas won.
Charles Henrickson
4749 Melissa Jo Ln
St. Louis, MO 63128
(314) 845-8811 (home)
(314) 779-8108 (cell)
[email protected]
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The Revd Dr Jonathan Naumann,
Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church & School
1261 Pennsylvania Avenue,
Oakmont, PA 15139-1195
Internet site:
redeemer-oakmont.org
e-mail:
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Tel. (412) 828-9323 Ext. 10
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'CAT 41 Sermons & Devotions' consists of works that are, unless otherwise
noted, the copyrighted property of the various authors; posting of such
gives members of this list implied consent for redistribution _with_
_attribution_ unless otherwise specified by the author, as well as
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