The Most Rev. John Opoku-Agyemang, Bishop of the Konongo-Mampong Diocese in Ghana’s Ashanti Region, has urged Christians to look beyond familiarity and rediscover the profound mystery of Christ’s humble birth, reminding the faithful that Jesus’ identity cannot be reduced to social background or earthly labels.
Delivering a deeply reflective address at the 7th edition of the Conversations in the Cathedral at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, Accra on December 10, 2025, the Bishop centred his message on the theme “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55), describing it as both a question of doubt and an unconscious tribute to Christ’s moral perfection.
“They could not accuse Jesus of wrongdoing. They could not fault his character. All they could do was to downplay his background,” Bishop Opoku-Agyemang noted. “That question, ‘Is this not the carpenter’s son?’, tells more in his favour than against him.”
Drawing parallels between the reaction of the people of Nazareth and modern attitudes toward faith, the Bishop warned against spiritual complacency born out of over-familiarity with Christ.
“We can grow so familiar with Jesus that we forget who He truly is,” he said. “We may hang out with Him as a friend, but forget that He is Lord.”
The Bishop emphasised that Christmas is both simple and profoundly transformative, reminding worshippers that God chose to enter human history through humility, poverty, and obscurity.
“Jesus was not ashamed to be called the carpenter’s son,” he stressed. “Though He was rich, yet for our sake He became poor, so that through His poverty we might become rich.”
The event formed part of the Archdiocese of Accra’s Advent reflections aimed at deepening faith and preparing hearts for Christmas.
Conversations in the Cathedral is an annual ecumenical programme hosted usually at the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Accra. It was initiated by the Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, CSSp, as a means of creating a space for people of faith and goodwill to come together and reflect on issues that affect both the Church and society.
It is not a lecture or seminar in the strict sense, but truly a conversation. It brings together voices from different walks of life such as clergy, laity, academics, professionals, and leaders from different Christian denominations to think, pray, and talk about the meaning of Christmas and a Christmas–related theme, and how it related to our modern society and lives today.
Because the programme is ecumenical, people are invited from other denominations, and this makes the conversation richer, as it reflects the spirit of unity and dialogue that the Church wants to encourage.
By Theresa Kpordzo//Newswatchgh.com
