Christmas talks about measureless love

"The Word, became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His Glory, the Glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of Grace and Truth." John 1:14.

Christmas talks about the measureless Love of the Heavenly Father, who "sent His only begotten Son so that who so ever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life". He gave us the Greatest Gift and it is with this in mind we exchange gifts with each other, said Anglical Bishop of Colombo Rev. Dhiloraj Ranjith Canagasabey, issuing a Christmas message.

Within a context of 'brokenness' in our personal lives, family lives and life in the community and the world, can we offer our 'full best' to one another in all aspects of life, he said.

The message: while the season of Christmas is full of Christmas parties, Carol Services, Nativity plays, sharing of gifts and family reunions, one needs to think whether human kind has lost the purpose for which the Heavenly Father sent His Only Son Jesus into this world; a world which is plunged into sin, and destruction; a world in which individuals have lost their direction, where family life is disintegrating, communities are being polarized and where violence and death is at its peak. In this background we need to see and experience the relevance of Christmas.

There are so many who suffer today in various circumstances of life: the poor, the orphans, the widows, the maimed, the blind, the deaf, the marginalised and the harassed.

When we respond to them in love, we in turn respond to God for His Love in offering His son Jesus to us.

Christmas talks about unconditional forgiveness. Jesus was sent by the Father to pay the ransom for our sins on the cross with His life and to reconcile us with God and each other. Human relationships are sacred to God and Christmas time could be the opportune moment to reconcile with those against who we are not in right relationship. As a nation, we have gone through difficult times physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially and politically and this is the opportune moment to build bridges of trust and confidence between individuals, families and communities. We must emerge as One Nation of One Human family transcending all humanly made divisions of caste, class, race or religion.

Each faith community must have the right to exercise its religious obligation of propagating its own faith freely and each citizen must have the right to choose his or her own faith at each other's own free will. Hostility against each other must stop, for it is not the will of God.

It talks about God becoming flesh; the God of the outside becoming the God of the inside.

The Father sent His son Jesus to be with us forever. He became human, was born in a cattle shed, He died to save us from sin and damnation, He rose from the dead. He ascended into Heaven, came back to us in the power of the Holy Spirit and dwells in our hearts.

This is the Joy of Christmas; the God of thousand galaxies coming to dwell in you and dwell within you in the power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, I say that Christianity is never a religion and can never be made to be a religion.

Why? Because it is a Living Relationship with the Living God in the power of the Holy Spirit, where He walks with us and talks with us who believe.

Christmas is not only about the past, the present but also about the future. It offers us all 'Hope in Christ Jesus'. Because He is alive, we can face the future courageously. Nothing would touch us in life that would not touch our God first. He would not permit anything more than what we can handle or endure; for He knows our limitations and capacities.

"O Jesus, Our Lord and Saviour, Our Holy One! You came to live with us and live within us on earth.

Although you were born the King of Kings, you lived a servant's life; You showed us all how to live, and placed your love inside.

By your birth, you have filled our hearts with your love; enveloped us with your Grace; Wrapped our lives with your Peace; And have given us the joy to 'Hope in You' To face all our tomorrows bravely and courageously.

May you be born anew in every heart this Christmas."