CHRISTMAS and Christianity is only for rich, western society! True or false?

We in Churches Together in Prestwich know this to be false. Unfortunately, many people believe this to be true. Why do they have this misconception?

Is it because all our images of Jesus Christ and his mother, Mary, are always represented as white? If so, I welcome the new second class Christmas stamps representing the Virgin Mary and child as dark skinned.

Or maybe it is because we, as Christians, keep Jesus Christ for ourselves. We do not hold the copyright on him, he was born God made man and died for all members of the human race, regardless of gender, race, age or position.

He most certainly was not rich or held any earthly status himself. Strange, that more than 2000 years later, many people are unaware that he was actually born in a cave, where animals were kept. I was fortunate to visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, which is built over the place where he was born. He and his family lived under an occupying force and became refugees living in a foreign land.

So why do we Christians, of all nationalities, gender or ages look forward to and enjoy celebrating his birth - albeit in such poor circumstances - more than 2000 years later? Certainly, he wasn't what we could call today a 'celebrity'. His ministry (teaching) was only three years and yet in that short time he has left us a blueprint for our own lives.

I believe Christmas is all about hope and peace. From time to time, we all have sadness in our lives, be it from sickness, bereavement, loneliness or other crosses we are asked to carry. With Jesus Christ walking with us we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, we are not alone.

At Christmas-time, more than any other, I believe that people of good will, of all faiths and none, try to follow his commandment of 'love thy neighbour as thyself', whether they realise it or not. We in Churches Together in Prestwich, come together to acknowledge our belief in Jesus Christ as our lord and saviour, despite our differences in worship.

We welcome anyone who wants to join us. We are a mixed bag of human beings - gender, age, different stages of faith - just like Christ's first followers.

We look forward in hope to when we may all be one. When our brothers and sisters of other faiths will join us as part of God's family, in praying for peace in our families, communities, city and country.

On behalf of all our members, clergy and lay-people, we wish everyone a happy and peaceful Christmas.

MONICA ORMROD,

Member of Churches Together in Prestwich