The Nativity Decoded
The meaning of Christmas
Robert Beckford sees such actions as caring for those who have been driven out of their country, supporting a woman who has been raped, welcoming her child into the community, and struggling to overcome tyranny, as the real meaning of Christmas.
If we understand the political and historical times in which these events took place, what we learn from them is that we have a duty to struggle and overcome injustice and oppression, and to affirm life in the face of tragedy.
Whether parts of the story are literally true or are overlaid with centuries of myth and tradition that relate to different times and places, the story retains its powerful message: that human beings should not be passive but should act to transform and improve the world.
