Weekly Reflection – Past, Present and Future

A great and mighty wonder,
a full and holy cure

Those are the opening lines, as usually translated, of a German Christmas hymn, Es ist ein Ros entsprungen. As it happens the translation is not especially accurate, but it does capture a really important theme of Christmas which is sometimes overlooked. The clue is in the word cure. Nowadays we think of this word primarily in medical terms, but the tendrils of its Latin roots range much more widely and their meanings include the ideas of taking care of, healing and providing for. All these words are relevant when thinking of how the ‘great and mighty wonder’ – the birth of Jesus Christ – has changed the world. Emmanuel, God among us as a helpless infant, has revealed the loving purposes of our Creator, healing our past, taking care of us in our present circumstances, and providing for our future.

More than two thousand years after the birth of Christ our world is still full of dark places. God’s healing seems distant, our prayers ineffective. But knowing that God has provided for the future of our world through the gift of Jesus Christ gives us the determination to be persistent in prayer and active in his service. May all of us know God’s peace, presence and healing this Christmas.

With my prayers and good wishes to all our readers.
Dean Simon