Kirstead

And so….the countdown begins.  In more ways than one!  As the country prepares for a General Election and its consequences, so the Advent calendars come out and we prepare to celebrate Christmas.  Politicians from across the spectrum are promising us hope, among other things, and so does the birth of Jesus, the focus of our annual festivities.

We live in a country, and indeed a world, where many are in need of hope.  Increasingly people cannot see their way out of loneliness, debt, unemployment, poverty or poor mental or physical health.  Those who seek to help them are also losing hope; of ever having the money, time, skills, resources and people to make the difference that is needed.

In Jesus, God sent us a great promise of hope  -  the message that we are all loved, as we are; that we are capable of living in peace and that there is enough of everything if we can find ways to share what we have.  In Jesus, God gave us a template...showed us how it can be done.

As we remember this Christmas a tiny baby, laid in the animal’s feeding trough, in an obscure inn, two thousand year’s ago, we may be forgiven for wondering what difference he could possibly make to the world.  We can only understand when we know the rest of the story; of his self-giving love, which makes forgiveness and a “fresh start” a reality for each one of us.

When we are overwhelmed by the task ahead of all of us in taking responsibility for changing our world for the better, perhaps the thought of that helpless infant will inspire us to remember that although what we can do seems tiny, we too can grow, and that when we follow his example and offer ourselves with love, change will happen.

Christmas offers us a wonderful opportunity to meet, to laugh, to celebrate and rejoice.  As we do, let’s remember that the gift of ourselves is the best one we can offer and that a warm smile, a kind word or a thoughtful deed, will not only make a precious gift for the recipient, but will bring with it hope  -  the most enduring gift of all.

May your Christmas bring you the gift of hope and the dawning of 2020 lead us into a kinder and more loving world.

May you know God’s blessing,

Lynn

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