At this time of year, much of the world is ablaze with color and lights and decoration in anticipation of Christmas. Amid all the dazzle it’s sometimes hard to find the simple signs that mark this as a holy day.
Look closely at that tall pine in the shop window, and you might see a bright star on top, images of angels or shepherds in its branches, or perhaps a modest crèche below its evergreen boughs—all symbols of one of the most momentous events of all time.
The nativity story itself is one not of lights and glitter, but of the quiet welcoming of a precious babe, the long-awaited Messiah, Christ Jesus—the man who exemplified Christ, the true idea of the divine nature. It was a historic happening that brought Christianity, with its promise of healing, to a world hungry for comfort and hope.
