mark of Christmas, The

Every continent and every ocean witnesses to Jesus"birth

Among all the Christmases we have celebrated, this one is surely unique. It reminds us that the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth has influenced the world for 2000 years. We often think of that influence in terms of human lives, generation after generation. But consider how this holy season and its Gift have left their mark worldwide.

Christmas Island, Kiribati; Christmas Creek, Australia; Mount Christmas, Antarctica; Christmas Island, Indian Ocean; Christmas Island, Nova Scotia; Christmas Lake Valley, Ore.; Christmas, Ariz.; Christmas, Fla.; Christmas, Mich.; Christmas Cove, Maine; Christmasville, Tenn.

Navidad, Chile; Navidad River, Texas; Isla de Natividad, Mexico, Natividade, Brazil; Mount Noel, British Columbia; Noel, Mo.; Noel, Nova Scotia; Christ Church, Barbados; Christchurch, England; Christchurch, New Zealand; Christian, Alaska; Cape Christian, North West Territories.

Point Christian, Pitcairn Island; Christian, W.Va.; Christiana, Jamaica; Christiana, Pa.; Christiana, Tenn.; Christiana, South Africa; Christiana Island, Greece; Christian Island, Ontario; Christian Hollow, N.H.; Christiansburg, Ind.; Christiansburg, Ohio; Christiansburg, Va.; Christiansfeld, Denmark; Christianshab, Greenland; Christiansted, St. Croix; Kristianstad, Sweden; Kristiansund, Norway; Kristiansand, Norway.

El Salvador, Mexico; El Salvador, Philippines; Lake Salvador, La.; Port Salvador, Falkland Islands; Salvador, Brazil; San Salvador, Argentina; San Salvador, El Salvador; San Salvador, Peru; San Salvador Island, Bahamas.

Bethlehem, Palestine; Bethlehem, Conn.; Bethlehem, Iowa; Bethlehem, Md.; Bethlehem, N.H.; Bethlehem, Pa; Bethlehem, W.Va.; Bethlehem, South Africa; Bethlehem, St. Croix; Nazareth, Belgium; Nazareth, Colombia; Nazare, Portugal; Nazareth, Israel; Nazareth, Ky.; Nazareth, Pa.; Nazareth, Peru; Nazareth, Texas; Nazareth, Vanuatu.

Every continent and every ocean recognizes the importance of the birth of Jesus the Christ. We are moving toward the fulfillment of that ancient Christian hymn:

Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

Call the Presiding Bishop's Hotline: (773) 380-2930. Messages change every two weeks. Topics-Dec. 1: Refugees, the international homeless; Dec. 15: Helping the Herald Angels.

By: H. George Anderson

A monthly message from the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

His E-mail address: [email protected]

Copyright Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Dec 1999
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