Dear Friends

The Chilean miners and the Light of the world

When the rescued Chilean miners from the San Jose copper mine reached the surface they had to wear sun-glasses to protect their eyes from the light. The first words from President Pinera of Chile to the jubilant miners was, “Welcome to the light!”

Jesus is given many descriptions in the Bible but the depiction of him as, “Light of the World” is the one often used at Christmas.

The Chilean miners were trapped underground for longer than anyone else in history. The 33 miners spent 69 days half a mile underground, living in their own dark but very real and frightening world, while above the surface the twists and turns of a dramatic rescue operation unfolded across our newspapers and TV screens.

Similarly, the Bible is the recording God has given us of his unfolding rescue plan for the human race. However, just as the miners were unaware of all that was happening above the surface, the Bible also reveals that the very real events of our earthly drama are also coupled with equally events which take place away from our view – in the spiritual realm – in heavenly places. Just occasionally, though, the invisible realm breaks through - like when the angels appear to the shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

The Old Testament, in particular, contains a lot of ups and downs as the drama unfolds. Theses stories obviously teach us about the characters, places and times when they actually happened – but they are also written to teach us – and to teach every generation - two main things: Firstly, how patient and wonderfully enduring is God’s love which he stretches out to us – and secondly, how awful is our predicament caused by our sin and waywardness; we ‘walk in darkness,’ and there is nothing at all we can do to rescue ourselves from it.

Rescuing the miners came at a high cost to the Chilean government (US$606,000 per miner at the latest count), but President Pinera wasn’t thinking about the price-tag when he greeted all thirty three beaming and very relieved miners.

The Christmas story marks a critical phase in God’s unfolding rescue plan for the world. It reminds us that no cost was too high for God to pay. That cost, which had been worked out in eternity, and well away from our view, but revealed to us in the New Testament, was that God himself would give his life to save the world.

Take the opportunity, this Christmas time, to welcome Jesus Christ as the light of your world.

Enjoy a wonderful, peaceful, and light-filled Christmas