December 24, 2022 6.00 am This story is over 25 months old

A Christmas message from acting Bishop of Lincoln Stephen Conway

A message of hope this Christmas

Christmas often seems to follow hard on the heels of shocking and distressing events. The news round-up at the end of this year includes the year of war in Ukraine, extremes of weather and the continuing flow of refugees fleeing war zones and extremism. We are all facing a fuel and cost of living crisis.

Where is the good news? When we look for answers, they lead to human stories. I have been moved by the kind welcome offered by families in Lincolnshire and across the UK to Ukrainian families seeking peace and safety. And then there has been the extraordinary phenomenon of the COP27 in Egypt where rich countries agreed to pay poor nations for climate disasters caused by western exploitation of limited resources. No one predicted this.

The NHS is stretched to the limit, but nurses and doctors who haven’t stopped since before the pandemic and who put their own households at risk just by going to work are still working flat out to serve the sick and vulnerable. Many churches and other public buildings are warm spaces and food hubs where the poorest among us can find support.

The Christmas story captures these themes in a nutshell. A family is given shelter in an overcrowded town so that their baby can be safely born. Shepherds, responsible for their livestock and grazing land, are the first to hear of the birth of Jesus. The angels who make the announcement reassure them that God’s message for the earth is peace to all people of good will. These things – ordinary kindness and amazing generosity – are meant for all of us. I hope that your Christmas will be richly and joyfully blessed.