The Bishops of Hereford and Worcester have used their Christmas messages to speak of the importance of joy during troubled times.
The Right Reverend Lord Richard Jackson and the Right Reverend Martin Gorick both referenced the conflict in the Middle East in their messages.
Bishop Jackson said: “Christians can and will celebrate amid conflict in the holy land, on the frontlines in Ukraine, and in a newly-liberated Syria.”
Bishop Gorick said he was “so conscious of all the places in our world where people face danger, war, famine and disaster.”
Bishop Jackson opened his message by reminiscing on the Christmases of his childhood, before he became a Christian, and the joy it brought him.
“Christmas interrupted a predictable routine with colour and life,” he said.
“Joy is often more powerful when it takes us by surprise. I’m surprised by joy when my 11-month-old grandson waves at me.
“Shepherds were surprised by joy as the angels sang. Mary and Joseph were filled with joy at their newborn son. The joy of Christmas is that God’s eternal plan to restore broken humanity is revealed in all its glory.
“Such joy is a source of inner strength.
“Could we share our joy this year with the lonely and isolated?”
Bishop Gorick began his message by reading ‘I will light the candles this Christmas’, a poem by by the theologian and civil rights activist Howard Thurman, who the bishop said “knew so much about pain and injustice, about poverty and prejudice”.
“Christmas can be a challenging time for many people, especially those grieving or bereaved, and those feeling real poverty in this country today,” he said, before reflecting on those across the world who find themselves in places of conflict.
“Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, is just one of those places,” he said.
But, said Bishop Gorick, Thurman’s poem also spoke of hope, joy, courage, and lighting candles in dark places.
“As we pray for peace and for justice in our troubled world,” he said, “I pray too for light and joy in our homes and in our hearts.”
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