MESSAGES OF HOPE IN THE MIDST OF STRIFE FOR THE NEW YEAR

 The cross at the top of a church tower pictured through a Christmas decoration in the shape of a star, in central Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC

Around the world, churches are sharing Christmas and New Year messages that express hope amid the tough challenges faced by people around the world.

In South Sudan, the South Sudan Council of Churches issued a Christmas message encouraging people to stop and understand the deep and rich meaning of this sacred event. The message states, "First, we see that God enters into our human condition and, in doing so, can identify with everything we experience in life." "God has an understanding of human life!"

"God does not choose favorites from among those who are considered important in the eyes of the world," the message says. This shows that, in God's eyes, everything is the same.

In the Christmas message, the Patriarchs and heads of the church in Jerusalem emphasize the similarity between the strife taking place in the Holy Land today and the events that took place more than two thousand years ago when Jesus was born. "Over the past two and a half months, the violence of war has caused unimaginable suffering to millions of people in our beloved Holy Land," the message said. "In conveying this greeting, we are well aware that we are doing it during a time of great calamity in the land of our Lord's birth."

"This is a divine message of hope and peace inspired by the birth of Christ in us, even in the midst of suffering," the message says, pointing out that things are not too different at Christmas.

In the "Patriarchal Encyclical for Christmas (2023)," the Ecumenical Patriarch of All Holiness Bartholomew noticed that respect for the human person, peace, and justice are gifts from God. He states that, for us Christians, the path to peace is through peace and that nonviolence, dialogue, love, forgiveness, and reconciliation have priority over other forms of resolving differences.

"There are no automatic solutions or permanent recipes," says the encyclical. "In the face of continuing threats to peace, we need to have vigilance and a willingness to resolve issues through dialogue."

In his Christmas message, Pope Francis called for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as around the world. He said, "The human heart is weak and instinctive; if we find an instrument of death in our hands, sooner or later we will use it." As arms production, sales, and trade increase, how can we talk about peace?”

The World Association for Christian Communication's Christmas message exhorts people to pursue communication that brings hope where there is despair.

Communication that" brings hope where there is despair, builds community where there is hatred, allows participation where there is exclusion, and promotes freedom and demands accountability where there is oppression" is what this message is about.

Ukrainian churches publish speeches to the Ukrainian people on Christmas and New Year's Eve. Religious leaders assured that they would support their country through prayers, words, and acts of kindness.

In the message, people are asked to keep the spirit and hope for God's grace, strength, unity, and hope.

In a service broadcast live from Palestine, Reverend Dr. Munther Isaac of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem gave a liturgy of lamentations. Bethlehem Bible College, churches for Middle East peace, Evangelicals for Justice, Global Immersion, Red Letter Christians, and the Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East all share it.

"If you are not shocked by what is happening in Gaza, if you are not shaken to your core, there is something wrong with your humanity, and if we as Christians are not outraged by genocide, by the weaponization of the Bible to justify it, something is wrong," Isaac said.

A pastoral letter was issued by Bishop Améric Jara Reyes of the evangelical Methodist Church of Argentina. He wrote, "We live in dark times painted with frustration, resentment, and a lack of sensitivity toward our fellow men and women, who project a" shadow of death" on large sectors of our society that may be becoming more vulnerable and more invisible." Christmas is always a powerful call for rebirth, a call to revive joy, hope, solidarity, brotherhood, and complete trust in the love of God.

Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, senior pastor of the United Church of Canada, shared the Adventist message for 2023, which focuses on human care and generosity toward one another. He said, "It's important to show generosity to each other at times like this."

Archbishop Donald Sir here and Archbishop Sione Uluilakep of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia saw light, hope, and peace in the Christmas season.

They wrote, "The story of the birth of Jesus is a story of hope and new beginnings. May you find new hope and new songs this Christmas season, and more importantly, may you bring new hope and new songs to those who need them most."

The United Church of Christ in the Marshall Islands is launching a Christmas video that emphasizes the importance of protecting children from violence and abuse.

According to Pastor Jeledrik Binejal, "celebring the birth of Jesus is a reminder that he understood what it meant to grow up as a child."

News Sources : https://www.oikoumene.org/news/messages-of-hope-amid-strife-ring-for-new-year