| Christmas messages from the World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches and partners across the world are bringing good tidings, deep prayers, light, and hope, even amid the world’s challenges. |
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 | Handicrafted crib, or nativity scene, made by hand and pictured in a workshop in the city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. Photo: Albin Hillert/WC |
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In his Christmas message, His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew reflected that Christmas is not just an experience of fleeting emotions that come quickly and pass even more quickly. “It is an existential participation in the whole event of the divine economy. As the Evangelist Matthew testifies, from the very beginning the leaders of the world sought to destroy the Divine Child. “For the faithful, along with the ‘Christ is born’ of the feast of the Incarnation of the Son and Word of God the Father, and the sorrowful bells of the Passion, the ‘Christ is risen’ always resounds, the Gospel message of victory over death and the hope of a common resurrection.” ‘“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace’ is heard again in a world filled with violence, social injustice and the degradation of human dignity. For the Ecumenical Movement for Human Rights, Argentina, at Christmas “our Triune God invites us to renew our hope in His Kingdom of Love and Justice and calls us to defend the rights of all human beings to a dignified life and of all creation, which is being destroyed. As we prepare to welcome the One who revealed love for the suffering, let us not allow our minds to submit to the spirit of greed present today.” |
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 | Nativity scene produced by artists from Colombia. Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC |
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From Karlsruhe, Germany, where the WCC 11th Assembly took place in 2022, Bishop Heike Springhart, from the Evangelical Church in Baden, the Christmas message focused on children. “The children in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, in Beirut and the Gaza Strip, in Syria, Ukraine, and Sudan are the ones who suffer most in violent conflicts. And so are some children in homes in our own country, where they experience violence behind closed doors instead of safety, despair instead of hope,” she said. “Humanity has a chance where the limits of human possibilities are taken seriously. We are not God, and that is a good thing. Peace, both on a large and small scale, begins where, beyond all positions, people seek what serves humanity, life, and peace.” The concern with the wellbeing of children was also raised by Pacific Conference of Churches. “As we approach this time of celebration, feasting, fellowship and consumption, it is important we think about what that vulnerable Christ child meant and take time to reflect on the vulnerable children in our community.” “And as we look beyond our home, around the Pacific we must remember those children whose lives are affected by climate change, political crises, and many other social issues. Thousands of women and children in West Papua who are internally displaced will spend Christmas in the bush; children in the Marshall Islands, Kiribati and Maohi Nui carry the intergenerational effects – of the testing of a total of 277 nuclear weapons by USA, Britain, and France.” For the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil, “like Mary, many mothers, on this Christmas night, look at their children, carefully keep all the events, and ponder them in their hearts. It is impossible not to think, on this night, of the mothers of Gaza, who look at their little ones under and among the rubble.” “It is impossible not to think of Indigenous mothers, who look at their little ones and wonder if they will have the right to territory and existence. It is impossible not to think, on Christmas night, of Black mothers who look at their newborns and wonder if they will survive the violence of racism.” |
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 | An emrboidered image depicts the birth of Jesus, inside the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC |
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Bishop Dr. Sani Ibrahim Azar, from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, reminded that with tens of thousands dead and millions displaced, Christmas in Bethlehem will once again pass without the typical tree lightings, scout marches, and other festivities. “As the world prepares to celebrate, our hearts are with our people in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. We feel the darkness that surrounded the first Christmas. Not a night of parades, celebrations, and Santa Claus, but of the holy family searching for refuge far from home.” For another year, Bethlehem faces Christmas without pilgrims. In the past, thousands have flocked to the city of Jesus’s birth to witness the coming of the Christ child, as shepherds and wisemen once did. “Though it becomes more difficult with every passing month, we hold tight to sumud as we continue our mission here. As Jesus came to his people here on Earth, we are going to our people through our ministry. In their faces, we see God’s face, and in going to them we are seeking the Christ Child in Bethlehem again and again.” From the Caribbean, the message of the leadership of the Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago affirms that “in a world that often feels divided and uncertain, we the body of Christ are meant to represent God's unified kingdom.” “The message of Jesus' birth calls us to be people of love, hope, and reconciliation. It calls us to open our hearts to those around us being family, friends, neighbours, and even strangers, sharing the love which we received through Jesus Christ. Whether through acts of kindness, words of encouragement, or moments of patience and understanding, we are invited to be vessels of his love in a hurting world,” reads the message. |
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 | Stained glass at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC |
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The Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren shared a prayer. “May we be encouraged by the courage of God to enter the world in the form of a defenseless child. May we be encouraged by the courage of Mary to accept the mission of a vulnerable servant. May we be encouraged by the courage of Joseph to believe the angel s voice and make room for God's spirit.” “This Christmas we invite you to rejoice in the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ, whose coming among us as a vulnerable baby, born in a land of occupation to a young girl, who became a refugee from violence, and who grew to show the love of God in his life and death to all he met,” reads the message from the Methodist Church of Great Britain. “This Christmas may you hear the message of the angels, be still in the presence of God born here among us and know God’s never-ending love, God’s hope for the world and the deep, deep joy of knowing you are seen, known and loved tenderly by God, now and forever as God’s beloved child.” For Bishop Tracy S. Malone, president of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church, this season of waiting and longing reminds us that God is always drawing near—to love us, to bless us, and to surprise us. “Whatever we are waiting for, praying for and longing for, we can trust in God’s faithfulness to meet our needs and fulfill His promises. We can pray in faith, asking God to move again and again, to surprise us, and to birth something new that will bring healing, hope and transformation,” she wrote. Rev. Dr. Fidon Mwombeki, general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, shared that he is deeply disturbed by the realities of people in the countries experiencing violent conflicts, natural disasters, calamities and other occurrences that “blur” the exhilaration of the festive season. “It is my desire and prayer that this time of celebrating the birth of Christ offers us all opportunities to rejuvenate for the work that awaits us in 2025 as we continue acting together for life, peace, justice and dignity. Just like Apostle Paul writes in Romans 15:13, I pray that the God of hope fills us with all joy and peace in faith so that we overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit,” wrote Mwombeki. In its 2024 Christmas message, Rev. Kim Jong Seng, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in Korea, wrote that the story of the infant Jesus—so seemingly powerless—offers us the path to salvation and opens the door to hope. “Jesus taught that the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children. When we stand before a child, we let down our defenses, rediscover joy, and embrace a spirit of gentleness. In the presence of vulnerability, we are invited to return to our true humanity, free from greed and division.” Dr Theodora Issa, from the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, and member of the WCC central committee, prays that, amid the lights and decorations, the world will recognize the true Light—the Light of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ—who came to dispel darkness and bring peace. “We pray for a world where all holy days, including Christmas, are honored with their full meaning intact. May this Feast of the Nativity of the Lord renew in us a spirit of peace, love, and hope. May it inspire us to honor its spiritual essence, setting aside the distractions of materialism. Let us welcome Christ into our homes, our hearts, and our world.” Middle East Council of Churches video: "A Message of Hope During Christmas", by the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) WCC Christmas page 2024 |
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