This Christmas, Let’s Remember Our Greatest Gift

Christmas is known to be one of the busiest times of year – but personally, I find the days immediately preceding this holy day as the perfect time to slow down and meditate upon the greatest gift ever bestowed upon mankind: the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus came into the world at the darkest time of night – but also at a time of historical and spiritual darkness. His people lived under the Roman yoke, with the puppet King Herod setting a new standard for tyranny and cruelty. Our Lord was born in the most humble of circumstances, without even a proper dwelling to protect him. And yet because of a child born into poverty and obscurity, everything became possible.

As C.S. Lewis put it, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”

So let’s ask ourselves: How are we doing?

Are we living up to the injunction to be salt and light in the world? Both Mary and Joseph were models of obedience, accepting the miracle of Christ’s birth without hesitation because they trusted in God’s plan.

At a time when Christianity is under rhetorical attack at home and literal attack worldwide, we must strive every day to live out our faith unapologetically and advocate for those who cannot worship freely. At home, that means never shying away from proclaiming the role of faith in our lives. Abroad, it means seeking to deploy all available tools to help victims of religious persecution, such as the Christians of Nigeria.

Have we done our best to respect the inherent dignity of every human life? The image of the infant Christ is a reminder of the miracle of each and every human being. Unfortunately, the radical Left is doing its best to maintain extremely permissive abortion regimes wherever possible and even attack the work of faith-based initiatives like Pregnancy Resource Centers that seek to enable women to choose life instead of abortion. Overturning Roe v. Wade was a major victory for the pro-life movement, but we can’t stop there – we must continue to expose the evils of the abortion lobby, and make it easier for women in difficult circumstances to give their babies a chance at life.

And finally, are we striving each and every day to be of service to one another, to emulate our Savior’s humility, and to recognize each other’s humanity? In this digital age, it is increasingly common for people to treat one another as mere objects or avatars rather than as complicated, flawed, and inherently vulnerable human beings. Yet there’s nothing less Christian than a worldview that treats people as members of opposing tribes – whether political, religious, cultural, or ethnic – rather than as individuals endowed with innate dignity. We must strive to live out the Golden Rule each and every day, in every aspect of our lives.

I pray that this Christmas season will be a time of hope, joy, and prayerful reflection for all my brothers and sisters in Christ, and may we be filled with the strength to live fully in the knowledge that “with God, all things are possible.”