IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR when Christians celebrate the holy birth of Jesus. Yet, for many, these days can feel more frenzied than holy. Typically, a flurry of activities—gift buying and gift wrapping, card sending, cooking, baking, visiting, and tree decorating—lead up to the big day.
Despite the hustle and bustle, however, Christmas remains a holy time to reflect upon the most life-changing birth that has ever taken place. Jesus' entrance into the world gave humanity confidence that God had heard their prayers and had sent the long-awaited Messiah. And the world has never been the same.
However, Christian Science makes clear the importance of understanding the distinction between Jesus and God. Jesus was not God, but he was inseparable from God. There is also a distinction between Jesus and the Christ. Science and Health relates Christ to the "divine influence ever present in human consciousness ..." (p. xi). Understanding these distinctions helps us see that the omniactive, divine influence of God has always been present, both before and after Jesus' life on this earth. The Christ has never disappeared, and we can rejoice in discerning its presence.
