Bishop Harold's Christmas Message
One of the lovely aspects about Christmas is that we can forget about the world of politics for a while, not least after the incredible Stormontgate revelations. Even the news on television changes during the holiday period, while our politicians, apart from a few ‘soft’ photocalls, do as the rest of us do: spend time with their families and friends, devour turkey, crack crackers and enjoy party games.
But one of the fascinating things about the first Christmas is that the baby Jesus lands himself right in the middle of a politicised world. It’s all there in the Gospels, even through we airbrush it out as it is read:
‘In the time of King Herod…’‘a decree went out from the Emperor Augustus …’‘while Qurinious was governor of Syria…’
There is no such thing as a non-political world. When Jesus Christ enters in to our world at just the right time, he enters in at a highly-politically charged time. He comes into a province answerable to a stronger power, ruled by those who are less than perfect, and certainly not always to be trusted.
It is in fact a political act, the calling of a census where Mary and Joseph must register, which leads to the prophecy being fulfilled that Jesus will be born in Bethlehem – the City of David. God was clearly able to work through the timing of politicians, to bring about the most important event in history.
It was also those with political clout who found it hardest to cope with the adulation of Jesus as ‘King of the Jews’. After all, it put their power at risk, and undermined their standing.
And it was the cruel opportunistic leadership of Herod which decided to do away with all the young male babies, and led to the Holy Family becoming asylum-seekers in Egypt.
The amazing thing is this: to us today, the ‘political’ characters of Jesus’ day are now simply history. Strange-sounding names from a different world. They have come and they have gone, just as will be true of the politicians of our own time. But the name of the Christ-child, Jesus, the one who is truth, humility and simplicity – the very characteristics we long for in our own political life – still resonates and shines through, because his values are eternal.