A Christmas Epilogue by the Minister of First Derry Church, Rev Dr David Latimer

But, as the years rolled into decades and the decades into centuries, the hopes and fears of many remained unfulfilled, at least that is until a group of shepherds had their nightshift watch abruptly interrupted by an announcement from a band of angels. Unable to settle themselves, they set off across the Judean Hills and down into the little town of Bethlehem, to catch the first glimpse of that Holy Light, which was to effect the course of history by guiding people everywhere towards the way of peace hope and life.

The baby in the manger was a real person - as real as any of us.

In infancy he disturbed a king; in childhood he puzzled academics. As an adult he ruled the course of nature. He never wrote a book, yet libraries are full of books that have been written about Him. He never penned a musical note, yet He is the subject of countless songs. Great men and women have come and gone, but He lives on to be with us, never to leave us, companion and friend, who amazingly promises to be just as dependable for life's bumpy patches as He is for the happier times.

Understandably, we're all a little fearful just now, due mainly to the concerns we have with the state of our 'broken' economy.

It is worrying enough to make us want to ask: "Is our world empty?" "Has it been forsaken by God?" "Has He gone off and left us?" "Doesn't he care what becomes of us?"

These are questions that we will all be asking as we move beyond Christmas and into the unknown of a New Year.

Allow me, as a Christian minister, to offer you all some encouragement as we move ever closer to yet another Christmas Day celebration.

While answers to our various questions are not always readily available, the truth is, around Christmas, with its buzz of excitement, frenzied shopping, parties, nativity plays and Carol services we can, in the midst of all the activity, and more than at any other time of the year, hear footsteps coming from the corridors of our souls.

When we stop to see who it is that's showing an interest in us, we discover it is none other than Christ the Lord, who came into our world long ago and who keeps coming into your world and mine just to assure us that we haven't been overlooked and that we haven't been forgotten about.

A wee lassie said to her mummy one Christmas: "Mummy, isn't this Jesus' birthday?"

"Yes it is," her mother replied.

"Mummy," continued the nine-year-old: "How come we give presents to people when it's their birthday? Shouldn't we be giving something to Jesus?"

The only thing Jesus Christ needs from any of us is our willingness to allow Him to have a place in each of our lives.

However much or however little we have in material terms, we will be forever incomplete and dissatisfied, until we each make peace with God our maker, who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!