And so it’s Christmas time again bringing with it that “something in the air” feeling, inexplicable and contagious that is peculiar to the season, also evoking nostalgic memories of other Christmases with absent loved ones when family chains were unbroken.
The commercial world abounds with attractions galore. Hotels have launched the glamorous seasonal events mixing the Christmas cake and lighting the Christmas tree with all the ostentation and publicity, jollity, fashion and merriment.
How about lighting up the star of Bethlehem that hovered above the stable highlighting the Nativity scene? That “star of wonder star of might; star with royal beauty bright” which guided the lowly shepherds and royalty alike.
Prince of Peace
After all Christmas is about “Mary’s boy child Jesus Christ” that babe of peace born in a barn, the Prince of Peace, the centre-piece of the whole celebration (we need to put Christ back into Christmas).
The story of Christmas is not one of fanfare and trumpet like other births of princes of world over through the ages, but one of lowliness on part with the shepherds. A Godhead no doubt but born in humble circumstances to lowly folk, Joseph a carpenter his foster father and Mary.
It was a silent right! A Holy night! A night when tranquility reigned supreme, not a night for footing the light fantastic toe as it is today, of course, there was the brightness of the star that illuminated the darkness of the night. The star lit up, brightened the atmosphere, shed light on those who made the trek to see the babe of Bethlehem- the humble shepherd and the magi.
Self-illuminated star
We can light up that star by being the star ourselves shedding light, shining bright, the self-illuminated star that in turn illumines the lonely life of some parent abandoned in an elders’ home longing for the light of love, of a child orphaned by the indiscriminate actions of extremist fellow human beings, sadly reminiscing happy times with doting parents and siblings, and now relegated to an orphanage.
May the star of Bethlehem be an inspiration and infuse peace and love on a world ridden with strife.