Once again, we enter into the winter season and are dazzled by the light displays and decorations for Christmas. These lights and the smells and the sounds of Christmas are heart-touching and can remind us of Christmases past.
The message I want to focus on this year is listening. The original Christmas message proclaimed by the angels to the shepherds was: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14). There is a lot of noise in the world that can make it hard to still hear that message given by the angels. One can think of all the political and social injustices or personal misfortune that can pull our focus from this message.
Christmas was the beginning of a new era. God took on flesh in Jesus Christ. Time, however, did not stand still. Jesus still grew up and taught the people of His time. He deepened the Christmas message through teachings on how to fulfill the message. For example, He taught to love your neighbour as yourself to spread peace and goodwill towards others.
Yet, some people could not understand Him. Already at that time, there was a lot of noise, such as the Roman occupation which influenced the daily lives of many people. Others even misunderstood Jesus as they thought He would restore peace by freeing them of the Romans. Furthermore, many people did not listen to the true message Jesus preached about and chose to focus on their own expectations of what Jesus would do for them.
Recently I came across the following statement: “We often listen to reply, not to understand”. How true! What is our response to the Christmas message? During this Christmas season, we once again have the opportunity to listen to what God wants to teach us and learn to understand Him a little more. The Christmas services offer a perfect opportunity for that. But God doesn’t only talk, He also likes to listen to us as well. Already Jesus listened to the people around Him. Through our prayer, we can express ourselves to God and form a deeper connection with Him.
I wish you a Christmas season filled with joy and a successful 2024. Let us focus on listening to understand, not only to reply.
Bernd Hedtfeld
New Apostolic Church
