24/12/2024
Christmas: We Despair Not
O wretched age, thou art clothed in ruin’s shroud! From hearth to holy altar, from humble hamlet to mighty realm, naught doth greet the eye but chaos and decay. The year of our Lord, 2024, each day draped in despair’s dismal veil: in the East, discord doth rage; in the West, treachery doth fester; to the South, folly reigns; to the North, woes abound. Above, futility; below, corruption. Within, all hollow; without, all vain. Whatsoever is corrupt, hath rotted to the core; whatsoever totters, cannot uphold itself. Such is the realm into which Christ descended—a world that doth crave redemption yet scorn the truth.
Yet hark! Christmas doth sound its blessed chime, reminding us thus: though darkness wraps the world in sable folds, the light remaineth. Despair cannot extinguish hope; death cannot devour life. Amidst the tempest, a feeble beam pierces the abyss. Lo, one arises, a witness to the turning tide. He is not the light, yet he pointeth unto it. But greater still, the light abideth with us—yea, within us.
This light is not wrought by human hand nor forged in mortal thought; it descendeth from the heavens, illuminating all who in shadow grope. Behold, it showeth that families may yet be mended, churches revived, societies renewed, nations restored. Though perils infest the abyss, yet doth a path ascend. The light denieth not the truth of darkness but giveth strength to traverse its depths.
Christmas is no vain illusion, no fleeting balm for weary souls, but the bedrock of history, the herald of salvation’s dawn. Christ came into this broken world for the broken-hearted; for the lost, He brought the light. His birth declared hope, His suffering unveiled love, His rising proclaimed victory.
Thus, we despair not. What we hold is no fanciful dream, but steadfast faith; no flight from shadow, but yearning for the light. From the hearth, let it begin—from a single deed of kindness, a hand extended to the weary. So shall we behold the light scatter darkness and hope take root and flower, until the day of final triumph.
May this Christmas light burn within our hearts, shine upon our age, and blaze eternal, unquenchable.
Let us pray:
O merciful Father,
In this age of chaos and brokenness, we come before Thee, seeking Thy light and hope. Though the days of this year seem veiled in despair, we trust in Thy light, ever-present and unyielding.
We thank Thee for the gift of Thine only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who entered a world of darkness to bring His light to the lost. His birth is no myth, but truth; no fleeting comfort, but the dawn of redemption. His love spans all time and lifts us from ruin to renewal.
Lord, we confess our frailty and sin. Our homes oft divide, our churches falter, our societies are riddled with injustice, and our nations stumble in confusion. Yet we believe Thy light can heal all wounds, Thy love can rekindle the church, Thy truth can restore justice, and Thy salvation can redeem all peoples.
Thou hast not promised us a life without darkness, but strength to endure its trials. Thy light is the cornerstone of our hope. Grant us courage to be witnesses of this light, to point others toward it though we ourselves are not that light.
From our families to Thy church, from our communities to the nations, may the light of Christmas shine forth. Help us to see hope sprout from every small act of goodness and every gesture of love, until the day of Thy glorious victory.
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.
