“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6, KJV
This year as we celebrate Christmas, we remember the announcement from the angel: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10, ESV). With great joy, we remember together the First Coming of our Savior Jesus, the sacred Incarnation, and His mission to save us. In one sentence, Holy Scripture summarizes Jesus’ task while on earth: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (I John 3:8b, ESV).
His light and truth form the foundation of the work FPIW does here in Washington on the issues of life, marriage, parental rights, and religious liberty. As we pause to celebrate, let us remember that the true meaning of Christmas isn’t gifts or even cherished time with family – it’s the birth of Jesus. Everything that we do here locally and across the country is undertaken for the purpose of honoring and serving God.
President Harry Truman’s Christmas Eve address in 1952 reminds us of what a Christ-centered Christmas should look like:
“Through Jesus Christ the world will yet be a better and a fairer place. This faith sustains us today as it has sustained mankind for centuries past. This is why the Christmas story, with the bright stars shining and the angels singing, moves us to wonder and stirs our hearts to praise. Now, my fellow countrymen, I wish for all of you a Christmas filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and many years of future happiness with the peace of God reigning upon this earth.”
We hope you take time to reflect on the birth of Christ this holiday season amid the busyness of travel, events, gift-giving, and family time. As President Truman said, the wonder of the birth of Christ and his miraculous time on earth should stir our hearts to praise and bring peace and joy to our lives. We pray you experience that this Christmas and begin the new year with hope and anticipation for all God has planned!
Merry Christmas from everyone at the Family Policy Institute of Washington.