Signs of the Times

Merry Christmas

The Labour Leader,

"It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold:
'Peace to the earth, good-will to men
From heaven's all-gracious King!'
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing."

The periodic recurrence of this season of good will kindles anew in the breasts of millions a faith that spurs them on to greater achievements. They see again beyond material things and realize that spirit informs and gives substance to the otherwise incomprehensible forces of life.

He who was born in Bethlehem and reared in the town of which it was asked, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" became the carpenter of Galilee and the teacher who spake as never man spake.

The history of man records no more significant event. Born in a manger because there was no room in the inn, his advent nevertheless stirred the imagination of men in every stratum of life....

As Charles Spurgeon said: "... The greatest and most momentous fact which the history of the world records is the fact of his birth." ... Jesus brought such a concern for man as had not been experienced before. His emphasis upon the things that enhance the dignity of man and the stress he laid upon the high worth of personality as such marked him as unique.

Those teachings so soon to come in conflict with the oppressive and tyrannical rulers have been the rallying cry of men seeking amelioration of their lot through the succeeding ages. Along this line the French writer de Tocqueville has said, "Christianity is the companion of liberty in all its conflicts—the cradle of its infancy, and the divine source of its claims."

Christmas through the centuries has symbolized a warm and liberal spirit of generosity. Could the virtues of peace and good will so prevalent at the Christmas season be continued throughout the year, a great transformation would take place not only among individuals but in the conduct of international relations as well. Wars, the scourge of modern nations, could be outlawed if the peoples of the earth would resolutely determine to follow the precepts and example of him who came to bring life abundant, and whose delight it was to do good unto all men.

From an editorial in The Labour Leader, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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December 24, 1955

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