In this short video, N.T.Wright reads the classic Christmas story from the second chapter of St. Luke's gospel. This year we encounter a strange Christmas. We find our world in the midst of a deadly pandemic, and a time of national tumult in the midst of an election which may be the first time in the history of the United States we may not see a peaceful transfer of power after a free and fair election. Clearly, things are not well in the world. Yet, this is exactly the kind of time in which the story of Jesus first comes into the world. Scholars differ on the exact year of Jesus birth, but the time period between BCE 6 to year 0 were tumultuous years. Herod the Great was known for his building projects, engineering feats, and political savvy, but he was also a ruler that utilized terror, violence and fear to hold power. He had multiple family members killed and the gospel account of the killing of the innocents is certainly well within his character profile. Josephus the historian also gives an account of the chaotic times in which Jesus was born which included riots, dangerous roads and travel conditions due to robbers, and the ongoing threat of political violence. It was in this dark context that we hear the story of Christmas told to us. So we can be reminded, that in the darkest of times, the light of God shines. As Christians that follow Jesus, we are to be the light of the world in these dark times and heralds of the Good News! Our hope does not lie in nationalistic hopes but in the baby lying in the manager and in the message of God's kingdom that he proclaimed. I hope this reading will be an encouragement to you at this Christmas time. Click the video below to listen to the reading of the Christmas story, read by New Testament scholar, N.T Wright. Links to the N.T.Wright YouTube channel and web page are included below.
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