A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
from the Bishop of St Davids, the Rt Revd Wyn Evans
Whether we are optimists or pessimists, we live in times which seem to be more troubled than usual. We should not underestimate the challenges posed by the threats of economic uncertainty, international terrorism, climate change or the many other questions being asked of us; but neither should we ignore the positive signs of light and life that are all around us if only we choose to look. What we need is hope, grounded in and issuing from the reality of being human in our world today.
The Christmas story is one of hope, embodied in the wondrous child in the manger. It is a story of new beginnings; of God coming to be with his world and remaining with his people. The news of the wondrous events unfolding in Bethlehem fell upon the ears of a people who considered themselves to be living in troubled times. Yet here was the beacon they had been seeking, the promise of better things to come, a ray of hope to lighten the darkness, which they spread across the world; good news indeed for troubled times.
And it is still, over two thousand years later, good news for troubled times. That hope, embodied and enfleshed in Jesus of Nazareth, remains to inspire us as it shines brightly in the hearts of every Christian. And at this special time of year, the good news of great joy re-kindles the hope that rests within the heart of every human being: a hope that, with careful management and a recognition of our responsibilities to those most in need, we can start to put right the economic wrongs brought upon us all by the greed of some; a hope that by recognising the value of God’s creation, we can find ways to preserve the planet He has placed in our care that do not discriminate in favour of the powerful or against the weak; a hope that, with Christian values and understanding, we can reach out to our enemies and find a way to live together in peace, respecting the differences that divide us and celebrating all that binds us together as human beings.
+Wyn