25 December 2024
The Bishop of Chelmsford's Christmas message:
Music is perhaps one of the most cherished aspects of our Christmas celebrations. Familiar words and melodies have that wonderful ability to anchor us to timeless truths and the hope that underpins them.
But this Christmas, how can we possibly sing of stillness and peace in Bethlehem, mindful as we are of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. On my visit to Israel and Palestine in May of this year, I was forcibly struck by the horror and brokenness of war in the birthplace of the prince of peace. The devastating reality is that stillness and peace are very far from the experience of many who live in Bethlehem, and across that beautiful but troubled region.
So, should we stop singing? Well, if we did, that would be a failure to recognise that the message of love and peace, encapsulated in so many carols and Christmas songs, resonates with an authenticity that touches even the depths of our pain and brokenness. At its heart, the story of Christmas both acknowledges the messiness of our lives – the stark realties of poverty, conflict and power struggles – and also holds out the hope that life can be different when the Kingdom of God breaks in. At present we see glimpses of this dimly, in small acts of kindness and love, and we long for the day when it will be revealed in all its fulness, when heaven and earth unite to sing the song of the angels.
Jesus himself was born into a time and place that wasn’t immune to the brutality of suffering and injustice, to a young couple forced to be far from home, who would flee with their newborn infant to seek safety and refuge away from the reality of terror. It was into that place then, and into our world now, that the everlasting light shines. The fear is real, but so is the hope with which it is met. Christians pray in the power of this hope that, during this season, God may be born afresh in our hearts; and we commit ourselves again to being a people who will work together for the coming of the kingdom of justice and peace.
And so as we gather in our churches, schools, chaplaincies and beyond, to hear the joyful Christmas music and celebrate afresh the Christmas story, may we hold on to the promises of the Christ child who continues to be present in the broken places of our world, and pledge ourselves once more to play our part in ushering in God’s Kingdom.
