MECC General Secretary¹s Christmas Message
³To our friends and partners in the Middle East and worldwide
At this time every year the eyes of Christians around the world turn toward Bethlehem, the city of peace, in hopes of hearing the angels sing, ?Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors.? (Luke 2:14) But today Bethlehem knows no peace.
Not far from the city upon whose bosom was born the mystery of the divine incarnation, the Christian and Muslim holy sites of the glorious city of the Resurrection and the universal culture to which its heritage gave birth are now under threat.
For their part, the Iraqi people suffer the occupation of their land. They look toward a day when they will again exercise the right to self-determination and manage democratically their own affairs with dignity and independently.
As you know, the political situation in most of the countries of the region is very critical.
In the midst of all this, the celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ will not allow us to succumb to sorrow, despair or hopelessness. To the contrary, the incarnation is nothing less than God affirming that truth and justice will triumph, and that those who suffer for righteousness and peace will see the fruits of their labors.
Christmas also calls us to stand firm in the hope we have in the person who bore human pain so that, passing through death into life, he might plant in this world the Kingdom of Heaven.
In this light we experience Christmas in a more profound manner. We translate its meaning into a spiritual renewal of our life and our commitment to the cause of our people. As it did for the shepherds of Bethlehem, it will enable us to walk through the dark night glorifying God, praising Him for coming to save us and to grant us peace with justice prevailing on Earth.
And so I greet you, my friends, in the name of all the Christians in the Middle East. May God guide your footsteps in the paths of justice and peace.²
Middle East Council of Churches Office of International Ecumenical Relations P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon
Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary
mecc@cyberia.net.lb or guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb
+961-1-353-938 http://www.mec-churches.org/