A Christmas Message From Archbishop Angaelos
As we look forward to the birth of the Christ Child, His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, reflects on what the nativity story means for Christians today and how we should respond:
His Emminence, Archbishop Angaelos.
The story of the nativity is God with us: it is a story of visitation, of God visiting us in flesh to give us hope and raise us up after we had fallen. It is an opportunity for us to look beyond our own brokenness and look with hope at where we can actually be. This couldn't have happened if we had just been left to our own devices; it is only by God taking on flesh and becoming like us that he can sanctify our nature and allow us to rise above the brokenness of that nature.
This is a beautiful thing and it shows us how to deal with one another. It provides so many opportunities and possibilities that allow people to transcend their own state of difficulty and brokenness, and give them hope in the Incarnate Word.
Every generation has a tendency to look at its own state as being either the best or the most dire in history. But if we step back, and look at how the world has been over millennia, we realise that what we are going through now is no worse than what has passed before. It just feels worse for us because we're living through it.
Of course, we are living through incredible heartache, conflict, war, division and polarisation at the moment – all of which require us to be gracious, kind, loving and giving. We must be Christlike in every way, opening ourselves to seeing the weakness of ourselves and others, and knowing that we must reach out to others.
We must also remember that people who are suffering need us first and foremost to pray for them, but also to keep them in our minds and our hearts – to keep their stories and struggles alive. The way we function is based on how we are informed and so much communication today is momentary and fleeting. Sadly, the struggles that many are continuing to go through are no longer seen because we're looking elsewhere.
During this period of the nativity, it is good practice for us to see that God came for the whole world. And so our eyes must be on the whole world – not just what is important to us, but wherever struggling and suffering is, our hearts, prayers and efforts must be there.
For Coptic Christians, it is wonderful to be mentioned in the Bible as blessed and as the people of God. When in Isaiah we read of God speaking of blessing to the people of Egypt, and saying that there would be an altar to the Lord in Egypt, we recognise this as a prophecy pointing to Egypt as a place of refuge for the infant Christ and the Holy Family.
Not only is this incredibly valued by us as the Church of Egypt, but it is also a real blessing on the land of Egypt. If you think about it, there is no logical reason why the Christians of Egypt remain the largest Christian gathering in the Middle East. At the moment, there are 15 million Christians in Egypt, representing 80% of the Christians in the Middle East. In a country where the Christians have never taken up arms or been a political force, they remain an incredibly faithful and dynamic presence. That must be because of that blessing that was placed back in Isaiah – and continues to be a reality for the Christians living that message.
Looking ahead to 2024, my prayers are for peace to the world and peace in the hearts of people. My prayers are that we continue to look at others in the same way that we would want to be looked at, that we consider the sanctity of life and the human value of every person, and that we do not dehumanise, commodify or objectify other people. I pray that we see others as God sees us – in our best possible state and as worthy of His love, forgiveness and victory.
If we are able to look at others in that way – and look not just at our own needs, but also the needs of others – I think that would make a wonderful Christmas and a wonderful world.