From the Executive Principal

The True Meaning of Christmas

Dear Emmaus families and friends,

On behalf of everyone at Emmaus Christian College I would like to extend to you and your family a very Merry Christmas. My prayer is that this season for you and your family is more that just ‘festive’ and a time of holidays, food and gifts, but presents to you a time to deeply connect with the true meaning of Christmas.

In our modern times the world around us has a habit of removing key elements from the Christmas narrative as well as allowing other aspects, or artefacts, to ‘creep in’ to the Christmas story. The risk of both is a dilution or distraction of the true significance of this special season.

Many shops, media commercials and even private residences (Christmas light displays), for example, now display “X-Mas” well wishes, effectively removing “Christ” from Christ-mas! I expect this is even unintentional in some instances by Christians who have just not spotted the significance of this rebranding exercise. In other ways we see ‘artefacts’ that actually have nothing to do with the real Christmas story creep into the narrative (or should I say ‘nativity’) and now almost seem to fit in seamlessly and can go unnoticed. 

The picture below is an example of this, and it has recently been making the social media rounds (in a “Where’s Wally” type exercise, can you spot the modern artifact that has seamlessly creeped into this nativity scene?).

As 2024 heads towards CHRISTmas I would like to focus your thoughts and prayers on the painting below by Aboriginal artist Pollyanne Smith depicting the true meaning of Christmas (nothing taken; nothing added!). From Luke 2: 1-7, it is titled “Jesunya Iti Wirkankunytja” (Jesus is born).

Blessings to you and your family this Christmas.

Blessings,

Andrew Linke

Executive Principal