As we enter the month of December, the atmosphere in many countries is charged with the Christmas spirit. Christmas carols, special Christmas services, and the anticipatory lighting of candles for hope and peace are some of the characteristics of the Advent season marking the Christmas spirit. The decorations, music, types of goods and other trimmings demonstrate how the commercial world is taking opportunistic advantage of the season.

At the same time, we celebrate Christmas this year knowing that many are suffering from poverty and disease or are victims of the senseless conflicts and wars that characterize these times.

Matthew's account of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ in the first two chapters of his gospel presents some vivid pictures from which we can draw some lessons this Christmas season. Matthew announces the birth of our Lord Jesus as Emmanuel - God with us. Meanwhile as the wise of the day were seeking the new-born king, the powerful reacted in fear in a way that led to the death of many innocent children in the name of providing more security - for themselves. Their strategy included the pretence of paying homage to the Christ child, as in the verse quoted above. It took careful reading of the signs of times and listening to God to see through the trickery of the powerful.

As we celebrate Christmas this year, we still have similar challenges. In the theme of the upcoming general council (Accra 2004), we acknowledge that the Christ-child has come so that all may have life in fullness. I hope as we celebrate this Christmas, seven months before the general council, we can all commit ourselves anew to offering our gifts which mediate life in fullness of life for all. As we do so, we will encounter the powerful of our own day who in their own interests continue to promote economic and security systems that bring death to millions of children. We may even hear them saying to us, as we find new inspiration for paying homage to the Christ-child and mediating fullness of life for all, that we should inform them so that they may pay homage to him also.

I invite us this Christmas to be wise women and men, listening clearly to the voice of God and not succumbing uncritically to the powerful of our day. I invite us to bring our gifts to the Christ-child, the prince of peace, through our commitment to carrying to all the good news that the coming of our Lord spells fullness of life. I invite us to deepened commitment as we seek to listen anew to God's call to expose all the threats in our communities to that fullness of life.

Setri Nyomi, general secretary