Leaders of Christian churches in the Holy Land have released a joint Christmas message declaring the joyful news of the Nativity and calling for an end to hostilities across the region.
“In the midst of these dark days of continuing conflict and uncertainty in our region, we, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, remain steadfast in proclaiming to our local congregations and the wider world the eternal Christmas message of the True Light shining in the darkness: the birth of Our Lord Jesus in Bethlehem,” the Dec. 13 message reads.
“For in Christ’s nativity,” they wrote, “the light of God’s salvation first came into the world, enlightening all who would receive him, both then and now, and offering them ‘grace upon grace’ to overcome the dark forces of evil that ceaselessly conspire to bring about the destruction of God’s creation.”
Invoking the spirit of Christmas, leaders of Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Syriac, Armenian, and other churches gave thanks to God for the recent ceasefire on the Lebanese front of the Israeli conflict.
The message further urged that the same spirit “be expanded into Gaza and many other places, bringing an end to the wars that have plagued our part of the world.”
The leaders also called for the release of all captives, the return of the displaced, treatment of the sick and wounded, the rebuilding of institutions, and the restoration of unjustly seized or threatened properties.
Currently, the Israel-Gaza front of the Middle East conflict remains locked in as Hamas-run Palestinian health officials claim over 45,000 casualties in Gaza since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023.
Additionally, Christians in neighboring Syria now face heightened uncertainty after jihadist rebel forces rapidly toppled President Bashaar al-Assad’s government earlier this month.
“Enduring many hardships, [early Christians] went on to pass along the holy light of Christ’s resurrection, becoming his witness in Jerusalem, throughout the Holy Land, and to the ends of the earth,” the leaders pointed out, according to a Catholic News Agency report.
In the same way, Jerusalem’s church leaders continued, “this ancient path of redemption leads us full-circle to our time, when wars still rage and untold millions in our region and around the globe continue to suffer grievously.”
“Outwardly, little seems to have changed,” the letter said. “Yet inwardly, Our Lord Jesus Christ’s holy birth sparked a spiritual revolution that continues to transform countless hearts and minds toward the ways of justice, mercy, and peace.”
The patriarchs and heads of Jerusalem’s churches appealed to all Christians during the season of Christmas and beyond to pray and work toward peace “both in Christ’s homeland and wherever there is conflict and strife.”
“For by together doing so,” they wrote, “we will indeed be truly honoring the Prince of Peace who was born so humbly in a stable in Bethlehem more than two millennia ago.”
