2007 Christmas

The Saviour long expected by Israel
finally arrived! As the prophets had
foretold, He came as a child. Israel had
expected a mighty king whose powerful
armies would drive the invaders from the Holy Land.
It is a paradox of salvation that the
Roman Empire came into being at the
time of the birth of Christ. Caesar
Augustus, its first emperor, claimed to be the son of God and resolved to extend the Pax Romana to the farthest reaches of the empire with his mighty Roman legions.
Near the outer reaches of the empire,
however, a child was born in the small
town of Bethlehem. The real Advent of
the whole humanity was the anticipation
of His coming because the so-called Peace of Rome brought only high taxation, oppression, suffering, wars, bloodshed and slavery. The whole world, as it is written, yearned for the coming of the real Saviour.
"Salvation or redemption, however,
depends not on political freedom but on
freedom from sin. The apostle Matthew
asserted that the Child did not come to
expel the Romans but to set all people free
from sin". Salvation or redemption does
not mean being freed from unavoidable
earthly suffering. Redemption more truly
means taking responsibility for suffering.
This is the revolution of faith. Therefore,
instead of the sword let there be the spade;
instead of hatred let there be true love;
instead of envy let there be kindness;
instead of snobbery let there be
brotherhood; instead of competition let
there be cooperation; instead of wars let
there be peace. Instead of the peace of
Rome let there be the peace of Christ.
Then will every day be sanctified as
Christmas. May it be so. Come,O Lord
Jesus. Amen.
Attila L. Gyorgy
-edited by Mary Feher-