Child in the Manger

The True Meaning of Christmas.

What is Christmas? For many it is a time for holidays, parties, family
gatherings, gifts, meals together, music, and special events. For others it can
mean unwanted pressure, an increased sense of loneliness, family squabbles, and
crowded shops. For those living in the Northern Hemisphere, Christmas takes
place at the onset of winter with its cold weather and short days. There are
more incidents of depression at Christmas time than at any other time of the
year. It is the best of times for some, but the worst of times for others to
borrow a phrase from Charles Dickens.

But Christmas is a very elusive thing, isnÆt it? We may look forward to it. But
what exactly is 'it'? 'A time for children'; 'It's about peace'; 'It's about
family'; 'It's about gifts, but it's a pity it has become so commercialised' -
these are a few of the popular answers to the question, 'What does Christmas
mean to you?'

But what is Christmas really all about? Does it actually have any 'meaning'?
Child in the Manger - The True Meaning of Christmas sets out to explore that
question. When we find the answer we realise that it isn't only for Christmas
time. So these pages are an invitation to explore what that meaning is. And if
this book has come into your hands around Christmas time, may it help you to
enjoy it in a new way!

The birth of Jesus divided history into two major epochs. Until the dawn of our
hyper-sensitive age, even the way we dated events underscored this. From time
immemorial every day, every week, every month, every year has been described as
either 'B.C.' ('Before Christ') or 'A.D.' (Anno Domini, 'in the year of our
Lord'). Even the modern, pluralistic style abbreviations, B.C.E. ('Before the
Common Era') and C.E. ('Common Era'), cannot obliterate the indelible impress
of Jesus' birth. For what makes the 'Common Era' so 'common'? And what explains
the dividing line date? The answer is the same: the birth of Jesus. At the very
centre of history stands the person of Jesus Christ. And he does so because he
is at the centre of God's story.

Recommended € 17,90