The Manger in the Midst of Turmoil: Reflecting on the True Peace of Christmas
A Christmas Message from Dr David Speicher
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. – Isaiah 9:4-7
As Christmas comes to a close, the wrapping paper has been cleared away, and the festive noise has faded, and I sit down to reflect upon our quiet family Christmas and the true meaning of this season, . In this stillness, I find myself drawn away from the commercial spectacle and back to the raw, powerful reality of the Incarnation.
It is easy to romanticize the nativity. We view it through the soft glow of Christmas lights, forgetting that Christ did not enter a world of serene comfort. He entered a world saturated in turmoil, held under the crushing power of the Roman Empire. The “silent night” was surrounded by political noise and fear.
We must remember that the arrival of the Prince of Peace was met with immediate, violent hostility by the powers of that age. Herod the Great, paralyzed by the fear of losing his grip on power to a newborn King, ordered the horrific slaughter of every male child under the age of two in Bethlehem.
16When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
-Matthew 2:16-18
Jesus was born into an occupied land, amidst brutality and the desperate cries of a people longing for liberation.
It was into this very darkness that the ancient cry of the human heart rang out, a cry that still resonates today from the carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”:
O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.”
When I look at the world today, I see that the players have changed, but the darkness remains. We are living in a time of profound global instability. We see geopolitical tensions rising everywhere—from border disputes between Thailand and Cambodia escalating to the invasion of Cambodia, to the posturing between China and Japan, and ongoing friction between the USA and Venezuela. More than ever, our world needs peace.
Furthermore, we are only just emerging from the tail end of the COVID pandemic—an era that exposed deep fractures in our society, in our scientific institutions, and in our trust in one another. The world is weary. It is crying out for a peace that international treaties and secular solutions cannot provide.
As a scientist, I observe data; as a Christian, I look to Scripture for interpretation. The current state of affairs should not surprise us. In Matthew 24:4-14, Jesus explicitly warned us that before the end, we would hear of “wars and rumors of wars,” and that we would face conflicts, plagues, and pestilence.
4Jesus answered them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah!’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places: 8 all this is but the beginning of the birth pangs.
Persecutions Foretold
9 “Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. 10 Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24:4-14
Closer to home for many of us, we feel the encroaching shadows on our fundamental freedoms. In Canada, legislation like Bill C-9 threatens to remove the bedrock of freedom of religion, subtly pushing Christianity back toward a marginalized state reminiscent of the reign of Nero. We face a world that is increasingly hostile to the Truth.
Yet, if we only focus on the turmoil, we miss the entire point of Christmas. The darkness is not the headline; the Light is.
Christ was not born simply to be a good moral teacher or a temporary political fix. He was born to save us from the root cause of all this turmoil: our sin. The true hope of Christmas is not that the world magically gets better on its own, but that God Himself stepped down into the chaos to redeem it.
We need the message from the carol “Holy Night” more than ever. It is a message that transcends politics and speaks directly to the human soul:
“Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!”
The Greatest Invitation
Therefore, as we pack away the decorations, let us not pack away our hope. We must trust in Him. The hope of Christmas is twofold: we look back to Bethlehem where He came to deal with sin, and we look forward to His Second Coming, where He will finally deal with all sorrow and establish His eternal Kingdom.
The prophet Isaiah saw this future reality clearly, promising a time when the yoke of burden would be shattered, and the government would rest upon the shoulders of the Child born unto us—the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
However, knowing about this Child historically is not enough. The peace we long for in the geopolitical sphere must first begin in the human heart. If you are feeling the weight of this world, if you are anxious about the wars and rumours of wars, or if you feel the emptiness that secularism offers, I urge you today: seek Christ.
I have spent my career examining the microscopic details of life, looking for evidence and truth. But the most profound truth I have ever encountered is not found under a microscope or in a laboratory; it is found in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the only One who can wash away sin and provide a peace that passes all understanding.
If you do not know Him, do not let this season pass without opening the door of your heart. Admit that you, like the world around us, are broken and in need of a Saviour. Believe that He died for your sins and rose again to give you life. Call upon Him as your Lord. He is not just a figure in a nativity scene; He is the living God, and He is waiting for you.
In these turbulent times, anchor your soul in the reality of the Incarnation.
The Manger’s Anchor (A Christmas Poem)
The world was dark when Christ came down, Beneath the heavy Roman crown. While Herod drew his jealous sword, The humble manger held the Lord.
The world is dark again today, With wars and rumors of decay. From eastern lands to western isles, We weary of the sad divisions’ trials.
The shadows lengthen, freedoms fade, We see the cracks that sin has made. Yet in the gloom, a Star still burns, The promise that our King returns.
He came to break the sinner’s chain, He soon shall come to end all pain. So let the Nations rage and cease; We anchor in the Prince of Peace.
I wish all of my followers and supporters—who have stood by me in my scientific work and my walk of faith—a very Merry Christmas. May the peace of Christ rule in your hearts throughout the coming year.
