Christmas message 2013

2013 Christmas Message

What is it about our society that 'selfie' is the landmark word for 2013?

Many of us cringe at the self-centredness of these self-portraits, as much as the bad photography, but many 'selfies' will be taken over the Christmas period and inflicted upon others, along with the usual array of awkward family photos.

But at Christmas time we should remember that there is an ultimate self-image, the image of God, which far outweighs the supercilious picture of a face filling our screen. We are all stamped with the image of God and it is this image that makes us precious in his sight.

Incarnation is the theological word which describes God’s coming to earth as a human being, with all the vulnerabilities associated with being born as a baby in that Bethlehem crib.

But so often we tend to leave Jesus as a baby in a stall, cute and inoffensive, and forget that he grew up as a fully developed adult, so that he might live the life we could not live and die the death that we deserve.

Christmas without Easter is not the full story. We fail to appreciate Christmas if we fail to appreciate the reason why he came ─ to suffer death upon a cross on Good Friday, rise again on Easter Day so that the bonds of death may be broken and new life become a reality for all who put their trust in him.

As you look at the pictures you take this Christmas, some will be joyful and some scenes may be sad, but you will look at faces that have the self-image of God─ those for whom Jesus came to offer new life.

What shall we give him in return?

We can give him nothing, but we owe him everything. Happy Christmas.

Dr Glenn N Davies Archbishop of Sydney Christmas 2013