In his Christmas message, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray, writes of two ancient cities, the City of David, known as Bethlehem, and Kraków in Poland, where he visited earlier this month.
He laments how unlike the famous Christmas carol; Bethlehem, and the Middle East, do not lie 'still' and at peace today.
Yet in Kraków, Dr Murray, found the light of Christ and the hope of salvation that came from Bethlehem, burning brightly in a new fledgling denomination he visited, contrasting this with the utter darkness he found on a tour of Auschwitz.
Dr Murray said:"the message of Christmas is about hope, and the arrival of the Light of the World.
"In an uncertain world," the church leader said, "where so many are at war with each other, and so many are at war with God, the gracious invitation of God is to take refuge in Jesus Christ and trust Him to be the Saviour of our soul in a world full of trouble and sorrow."
He concluded giving thanks that "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
Dr Murray concluded his Christmas message with a prayer. He said his prayer for everyone is that the God of peace will bless you with
that peace over Christmas.
