Christmas Day represents an opportunity to reflect on the religion that makes this occasion so great in family, national and global traditions; so laden with meaning and full of beautiful sentiment and genuine goodwill.

Christianity has had a determining spiritual, philosophical and cultural influence on civilisation. Despite the many sins the Christian churches and their followers have committed in the name of Christ over the centuries, the religion has been a tremendous force for good in the world.

But as ever, it faces great challenges in its mission to spread the teachings of its founder both widely, throughout the continents, and deeply within the hearts of individual men and women.

In some areas of the globe it is virtually threatened with annihilation. In the Middle East, Christians have been the target of jihadist terrorists or Islamic fundamentalists, and have had to flee their homeland. Indeed, some of the oldest Christian communities in the world are disappearing from lands where Christianity first took root.

The wars in Iraq and Syria have uprooted thousands of Christians who have been persecuted, terrorised and bombed by the so-called Islamic State. In Egypt, Christians, who comprise 10 per cent of the population, have often been the target of terrorist bomb attacks. And large numbers of Palestinian Christians in many West Bank towns such as Bethlehem – the birthplace of Christ – have been forced to emigrate, mainly due to the hardship caused by the Israeli occupation.

The Pope has often spoken about how Christians in a number of Arab countries need our help, but most Western governments have only paid lip service to this. It is incumbent on the West to make more of an effort to help its brothers and sisters fleeing lands that were once more tolerant, either by offering them asylum or by providing them with financial aid to rebuild their lives. This is perhaps a theme which should be taken up by Malta’s EU presidency.

Closer to home, Christianity’s battle is not against violent persecution or threats to its existence. The struggle is to be relevant to people’s lives and provide them with meaning against the tides of materialism, doubt and indifference. This can be done by doing as Christ did: inspiring men and women to embark on a personal relationship with God and, as a natural result, to develop a kinship with the rest of mankind, His children.

It is depressing to admit that instead, much of what the Church concerns itself with – fussy rules, fossilised rituals, tired traditions, ecclesiastical authority and unassailable precepts – is the opposite of inspirational. These aspects do not inject in most members of the younger generations, who are Christianity’s future, an uncompelled curiosity to explore the faith, the thrill of living it freely and creatively or the burning desire to share it with others.

Neither does Christianity encourage espousal by some its contradictions. It appears to embrace tolerance and diversity yet frowns at non-conformity and self-determination. It is uncomfortable with the exercise of God-given free will.

The Church’s greatest challenge, therefore, is itself. It needs to be more courageous in examining its own conscience and asking itself how it can better live up to its heavy responsibility of transmitting the sublime religion of Jesus to the world, which is ultimately a liberating, not restraining force.

The huge popularity of Pope Francis shows there is a thirst for a more humble, authentic, individual style of faith. His approach lays strong emphasis on God’s mercy, love and compassion. He inspires a strong following because this is the kind of spi­r­i­­tual nourishment that Christians need to revive their faith.

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