Celebrate Christ this Christmas, whether you believe in God or not
The birth of Jesus changed the world. Even if you don't believe Him the Son of God, it is important to put him at the heart of Christmas
The birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago changed and shaped the entire world.
You may not have faith, but the historical figure of Jesus is the most important human to have ever been born.
And you may not realise that whatever your thoughts on God, the man Jesus indubitably lived, something that invites consensus among historians and scientists. There is more evidence for Jesus of Nazareth than Alexander The Great.
Name me someone else who has ever lived who has been as influential as this man. Our years correlate to his birth. And all the values and morals of modern humanity appeared in the wake of it. He is the most famous person to have ever lived and for good reason - he brought the world a revolution in love.
At its core, the message of Christmas is one of profound hope and peace. After the bloodthirsty power hierarchies of the ancient world, the violence, exploitation and hedonism, Jesus wholly changed how society functions and treats one another. Forever. If that isn't the evidence of a miracle, or of the divine, I don't know what is. For me the wonder of Jesus is empirically borne out in easily available fact. That one man should change the course of history so significantly and beautifully is evidence enough for me.
The “Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6) entered the world humbly, in a manger, as God's gift to humanity—Emmanuel, "God with us." John 3:16 captures the essence: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son." Christianity is unique in its accessibility of God. And that is the power behind how and why its influence has been so impactful. That man can follow the example of man to become more Godlike is critical to Christianity's power. As we follow the story of miracles with the message we must grow to become closer to God, the passing of time has witnessed this play out. Jesus cured leprosy and blindness by divine intervention. Today, humans have used their unique powers to harness Godlike wisdom through science to do the same. It is no coincidence that the vast majority of life-changing innovations have actually come from followers of Christ.
Christmas reminds us that divine love bridges the gap between heaven and earth. That we are made in the image of God. It also offers reconciliation, forgiveness, and eternal hope amid human brokeness.
This message has reverberated through history, profoundly shaping Western civilization and beyond. Christianity, emerging from Judaism in the Roman Empire, spread rapidly due to its emphasis on universal dignity, compassion, and moral order. While critics point to conflicts like the Crusades or religious wars as evidence of division, these often stemmed from political ambitions rather than core teachings of love and peacemaking. Christianity's net impact has been transformative, fostering advancements in inventions, democracy, civilization, and peace.
In the realm of inventions and innovations, Christianity provided a worldview that propelled scientific inquiry. The belief in a rational Creator who ordered the universe encouraged exploration of natural laws as "thinking God's thoughts after Him," as astronomer Johannes Kepler put it.
Medieval monasteries preserved ancient knowledge, and the Church founded the first universities in Europe, such as Bologna and Oxford.
Many groundbreaking scientists were devout Christians: Isaac Newton, whose laws of motion and gravity revolutionized physics, viewed his work as revealing divine design; Francis Bacon pioneered the scientific method; Alessandro Volta invented the battery; and Gregor Mendel, a monk, laid foundations for genetics. The Scientific Revolution flourished in Christian Europe, with scholars like Robert Boyle and Blaise Pascal advancing chemistry and mathematics while affirming faith.
Christianity also influenced modern democracy. Biblical ideas of human equality—"created in God's image" (Genesis 1:27)—and covenantal governance inspired concepts of inherent rights and limited authority. Thinkers like John Locke drew from Christian theology for natural rights theories underpinning the American Declaration of Independence. Post-World War II Christian democratic parties in Europe emphasized human dignity, social welfare, and reconciliation, helping rebuild stable democracies.
On civilization, Christianity elevated human worth, abolishing practices like infanticide and gladiatorial games in the Roman world. It promoted charity through hospitals, orphanages, and education. Figures like William Wilberforce, driven by evangelical faith, led the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.
Finally, Christianity's impact on peace is evident in its teachings of nonviolence and reconciliation. Jesus' Sermon on the Mount blesses peacemakers and urges love for enemies. Historic peace churches like Quakers and Mennonites embody pacifism, while leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. applied Christian principles of nonviolent resistance to advance civil rights.
Though imperfectly lived out, Christianity has inspired humanitarian efforts, from medieval truce movements to modern peacebuilding.
If anything, the wilful dilution and erosion of Christianity has left a vacuum into which isolation, egotism and societal breakdown are starting to emerge. A world without God places too much power into the hands of imperfect humans and has ushered in warped pseudo-morality being played out in pronouns, hypersexuality, unbridled capitalism and cancel culture.
Christmas invites reflection on this legacy: a child born to bring "peace on earth." In a divided world, its message of love and redemption remains a beacon, urging us toward innovation, justice, and harmony.
Whatever your plans this Christmas, raise a glass to Jesus of Nazareth. We celebrate his birth the world over for a reason. That reason is Love.
Christ is the humility of God embodied in human nature; the Eternal Love humbling itself, clothing itself in the garb of meekness and gentleness, to win and serve and save us.
And for thanks we nailed Him to the cross, and in His agony he looked down at us - denying Him, abandoning Him, and betraying Him - and in the greatest act of love in history, He said, ‘Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing.’
He shed tears for those that shed His blood. Jesus was God and man in one person, tortured to utmost agony, and crying for us while dying for us, so that, far beyond the eve of Adam’s sin, God and man might reconcile and unite together again.
It is for these reasons that no one else holds or has held the place in the heart of the world which Jesus holds. While other gods may have been as devoutly worshiped, no other man has been so devoutly loved. —Bridged Quotes from Various Authors
God gave Jesus eternally to us and this gift is the greatest Christmas gift ever given. But Christ is ours to take or leave, as we are all innkeepers who get to choose whether there is room enough for Jesus in our hearts. So the question is, will you take the Son?
Who Will Take the Son, By Unknown [Modified]
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had nearly everything in their gallery, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often spend hours together admiring and discussing the stunning compositions before them.
One day the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while saving another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only child.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood there with a large gleaming package in his hands. He said, “Sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in his heart. In his shock his death was painless.
He often spoke about you and your shared love of art.” The young man brought forward his hands. “I know it isn’t much. I’m not a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”
The father unwrapped the parcel. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. The father stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his lost future on the canvas. The father was so drawn to his son’s eyes that his own eyes welled with tears. His throat seized. He thanked the young man as best he could and, nearly choking, offered to pay him for the priceless image. “Oh, no, sir. I could never repay what your son did for me. It is a gift.”
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. From then on whenever visitors came to call, he first took them to see the painting of his son before he presented any of the other great works they had collected together. ...And yet, still heartbroken, with only his son’s portrait to console - as well as torture by his absence - overtime the gentlemen’s body failed him as his heart was steadily cut-up from the sum total of gloom, grief is capable of rending.
There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the fruit of the greatest artists and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer pounded the gavel.
“We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence. Then a voice near the back of the room shouted, “We want to see the famous paintings. Skip that one.” But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100. $200?”
Another voice shouted angrily. “We didn’t come to see this armature portrait! We came to see the Van Goughs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids.” But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! Who will take the son?”
Finally, a voice came from the back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son, of whom both he was fond. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. “We have $10, who will bid $20?”
“Give it to him for $10! Let’s see the masters.” But the auctioneer continued. “$10 is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?” The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the image of the son. They wanted the more “worthy” investments for their collections. The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!”
A man sitting on the second row shouted, “Now let’s get on with the collection!” But the auctioneer laid down his gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.”
“What about the paintings?”
“All apologies. When I was called to conduct the auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the art collection. That man in the back who took the son gets everything.”
God gave his son over 2000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is, “The Son, the Son, who will take the Son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the Son, gets everything...
Excerpt from and more like this here: https://tritorch.substack.com/p/the-light-is-gathering-3-unto-earth
Merry Christmas Alex!
Happy Christmas you lovely Lady x