Thought for the Week - 18th & 25th December

Dear Friends, 

I was interested to read this week of the Streatham Common Crib Controversy of 1985 when the local council banned a nativity scene that had been at every Christmas since 1956 because ‘of concerns about offending people of other faiths’. It had been the idea of two local Catholic church members, one who built the scene and the other who painted it, and who were concerned that the true meaning of Christmas was being lost in all the commercialism and hype. The national press picked up the story with headlines like Away with the Manger, and No Room on the Common, and it wasn’t until one of the originators challenged the decision, including getting in touch with the leaders of the other local faiths who said they had no objection to the crib scene, that the council reversed its decision, and this year, 2022, will be the 66th year of the nativity scene. Nativity scenes can be seen in all kinds of places at this time of year, and they are a visual reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, even if there are some who would see the word ‘Christmas’ deleted altogether and replaced with the ‘holiday’ season, the ‘festive’ season, or even ‘winterval’. But Christmas marks a beginning that sees the God of creation come to earth as a tiny baby in the person of Jesus Christ to set in motion the plan of salvation and restoration between God and sinful human beings. It is a story which brings hope, joy, love and peace – the Advent themes – but which also is the beginning of the story of the life of Jesus which ends with his death on the cross, a truly brutal and horrific death, but which leads to the resurrection on that first joyful Easter morning. And whilst it may be that the Christmas story is under threat of losing its impact today in our society with more and more people knowing less and less the story, each one of us has the responsibility to tell of this good news and what it truly means to each one of us. Timothy Dudley Smith, who is a retired Anglican bishop and noted hymnwriter, in a hymn called ‘Where do Christmas songs begin?’ says in one verse: ’Who is this, whose human birth here proclaims him child of earth? He is it who formed the skies, saw the new-made stars arise; life immortal, light divine, blinking in the candle-shine; born our darkness to dispel, God with us, Emmanuel’.  May you know ‘God with us, Emmanuel’, in your own life this Christmas time. 

Have a very 'Happy Christmas'

Grace and peace,

Neil  

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