'Christmas is the love story of God'

Christmas is the love story of God, says the president of the largest Protestant council in the country.

Speaking at a Christmas celebration in New Delhi, Bishop Taranath Sagar of National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), interpreted Christmas as a "beautiful love story of God coming to earth as a man in a humble and caring way."

"Love is what brought Christ into this earth. And it is this same love that the world is keenly yearning for. As we celebrate this festival let us not forget the centrality of Christmas," he urged.

He went on to decipher the meaning of Christ birth in the modern world. "Amidst violence, hate and extremism let us plant the seed of peace through Christ. It is crucial that the message of peace and kindness spread among people for a mature world," he said.

Today, on Christmas Eve, people of different faiths were seen flocking churches for midnight prayer and carol services to remember the birth of Christ.

As he extended his Yuletide greeting, the general secretary of the NCCI, Bishop DK Sahu, construed Christmas as the "homecoming of God in silent mode to the world."

The birth of Christ, he said, is "neither an exciting moment of noise pollution nor great celebration but a silent homecoming."

He added that the "silent homecoming has thrilled the generations after generation and still speaks to us."

"For God so loved the world that He gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son in to the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him," he said quoting the Bible.