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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-12-18, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, December 18, 1991 Publisher: Jim Beckett News Editor: Adrian Harte Business Manager: Don Smith Composition Manager: Deb Lord Publications Mail Registration Number 0388 SUBSCRIPTION RTES: CANADA Widdn 40 miles (65 km.) addressed to non fatter carrier addrosses 530.00 plus 82.10 Q.S.T. Outside 40 riles (68 km.) or any Fetter canter address 530.00 plus 830.00 postage (total 060.00) plus 84.20 Q.S.T. Outside Canada 588.00 • 0. Christmas is the story of "Love in Action" By The Rev. M. Patterson, Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church What is Christmas? Some think it is being entertained... by friends, at par- ties; by family, at home. Some think it is pressure... to buy all the right gifts; big and expensive. or tiny and expensive, to look just perfect in that new dress, or to go to so many gatherings it's hard to remember which one is on which night. Some think Christmas is the time when you have to pretend to be hap- py and having a good time... or some think it is the time to drink too much wine and eat too much food! What is Christmas, really? Christmas is the story of "Love In Action". God is love and in the first Christmas we see God in action in the story. Therefore, we see love in action. We see it in the person of Jo- seph. The man who would not abandon or turn against God who lay in the womb of Joseph's beloved Mary. Joseph did not abandon Mary in her time of need - a time when she had no other. Joseph could have turned and denied her any kind of sup- port, but he did not. He met her where she lived and supported her and God within her. We see "love In Action" in Mary as she says, "Yes" to God. We see it as she cares for herself and the baby inside her. Mary's "Love In Action" supported the very life of God within her. After Jesus was born, he was kept warm by her body and fed by it as well. Mary said "Yes" as she allowed herself to be an instrument of God's "Love In Action." In the Christmas story in the Gospel ac- cording to St. Luke we see others witness- ing to God's "Love In Action". The angel of the Lord spoke to some nearby Shep- herds and told them of the story of God's "Love In Action" that had happened near- by. The shepherds went to see Jesus. Af- ter they and seen Him, and his parents, they too went and told others of their seeing and hearing the story of "Love In Action". The story of God loving us so much that He came to live among us. The year is 2075. Somewhere in the annals of inter -stellar space, there is a rather poignant and touching story about an Inter -Planetary Conference, Representatives from every world gathered to report to one another on the progress of their civilization. There, seated around an oval table on a great space station, the various delegates awaited their turn to tell their colleagues about their achievements. One planet shared the good news that they had completely overcome disease and suffering. There was applause. Another talked about ending war and human conflict, and again, there was applause. Yet another boasted of lowering their divorce rate to 5%. f n i n on die good news kept being announced. And there sat Earth, taking it all in and feeling more and more uncomfortable as its tum approached. During a cof- fee break, the Earth delegation got together in a corner and asked each other, "What can we possibly tell them? Disease and suffering are still around. War is still a fact of life. Marriage and the family are just a a little better off. What can we say?" When Earth's tum came, the Inter -Planetary Council called upon them to mount the podium. They began, "Well things are not looking the best on Earth, but they have been worse". The other delegates in the enormous coun- cil chamber roared and tittered with laughter. Earth continued, "Evil still rears its ugly head. We have wars now and again. Disease and suffering still exist and families are scattered all over the globe. But -- we have some very Good News! God once visited the Earth." There were oohs and ahhs as the Good News travelled throughout the council chamber. "How did God come to Earth?" the others asked. "He carne as a baby and he was born in a barn". "Why?" they asked. "Because their was no room for him in people's homes. He grew up to be a teacher and a great healer." "What did you do with him?" they asked in amazement. "Well, actually - we killed him. But he rose from the dead. And he gives new life to all who believe in him. God visited the Earth." The delegates from the other worlds were silent with awe and wonder at this declaration. The fact that such an action of love from the God of the uni- verse could occur amid such sorrow and sadness on Earth was truly a story to hear. It was told -throughout the generations of yearly meetings of the In- ter -Planetary Conference. Each time it was related to others it still held its mystery of awe and wonder. Christmas is still for us today a time of awe and wonder. It is, as it was in the past and as it will be in the future, a time to celebrate God's "Love In Action" to our world. We may pause and reflect as we celebrate this Christmas, that nothing, nei- ther death, nor life, nor angels,..nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. May every blessing be yours this Christmas season. • n-- "Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely." ... Thomas Macauley Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St.. Exeter, Ontario, NOM 158 by J.W. E.dy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1.511135-1331 S.S.T. 011105210435 r till OA% MOJN5 CGA5 +�` a n ej dt Cr, s'5eG Mets BeMem k c* 5\r ;wed lAr4314 i 1 t bks . Lord . pjr Wins \rad el t.4 6ce-n or n t o �"6 % e-4c�c,e- CLc . H c U c1 ea" '1•Ne44.of ,woo" k1rc orGver ' c. will 6b1 . co -c, `r'\ V Ci -nn km+ 4.80niit. 6cX o Gr, Still more good than bad I read a science fiction story once that told of time travellers who would seek out "happy times" in the world's history as destinations for their travels. They would visit eras of peace and contentment, much in the same way we might visit coun- tries with better weather or scen- ery. An intriguing notion, but I can't see 1991 as being one of the years on their list. The year started on the wrong foot with the Gulf War. Yugo- slavia hasn't fared much better. The recession was supposed to end, but only got worse. A world superpower has crumbled before our very eyes, and no matter what we may have feared about the Soviet Union, at least they never used their nuclear weapons. Whether the same can be said about a troupe of squab- bling republics remains to be seen. To add to the discomfort, we find out -of -work Soviet nuclear scientists being offered hand- some sums for their talents in developing, and unstable, na- tions. Nationally, we find ourselves considering the hypocrisy of ap- plauding the independence of the former Soviet republics, while suggesting Quebec inde- pendence is impossible. Provincially, we see the NDP government promoting its own social agenda while cutting back traditional transfer payments. And locally, the recession has not left this area untouched. Many more companies, faced with little demand for their prod - Hold that thought... By Adrian Harte ucts, have cut back workforces, leaving many on the unemploy- ment lines at this Christmas time. Local farmers arc wondering how long they can continue to produce food at a net loss. Oth- ers are waiting to see if GATT negotiations i neva will dis- mantle the prooc's marketing boards that have prevented sup- ply from outstripping demand, keeping prices profitable. No, I don't think I would like to come back to 1991 as a visi- tor, even less as a reporter. The constant flow of "negative" news items across my desk has been disturbing. There are also those who prefer to "shoot the messenger" and blame the media for the current events. If we somehow tumed a blind eye to the layoffs, the crimes, and the recession, these problems might all disappear. It's an innocent way of looking at things, but surprisingly common. But in case you think I am painting a too gloomy picture of things, I wish to point out at this Christmas time, that for the most of us, the situation could be a lot worse. While the recession may have frustrated our materialistic de- sires, most of us can usually find much in our lives that is truly worth appreciating. Canadians seem to be com- plainers by nature. Perhaps we have a right to be. After all, we live in a land in which one of the necessities of life freezes solid for several months of the year. Christmas, which comes in the middle of this season of survi- val, gives us a few days to sct aside our complaints and reflect on the fact there is more on the plus side of our legers than ncg- alive. With all the Christmas good- will passed around at this time of year, I know it gives me a chance to see people at their best. Despite the disappoint- ments they may have suffered during the year, despite the wor- ries they have about the future, they all seem to be ready to set all that aside and raise a glass of egg nog and wish goodwill to all men. All's well that ends well, they say. Christmas is as good a way to end 1991 as any.