December’s
Newsletter
Dear friends,
I once heard a story about a German baron who built a new church for the village
that stood below his castle. When it was finished, everyone remarked how beautiful
it was. The only complaint they had was that the nobleman had failed to provide any
lighting. But when the villagers mentioned this to him -
Well that story reminds me of the village I lived in whilst in Somerset. Now it was
about as far outside Taunton as Murroes is from Sainsbury’s. Yet, believe it or
not, most of its streets had no lighting. This was hardly a problem in the long balmy
evenings of summer. But on a dark winter’s night, trying to navigate from car to
house without falling over something was less easy. That’s why Christmas was such
a boon. Because it was then every house not only open their curtains to show off
their brightly decorated interiors but added to the general gloom-
And that seems very relevant at this moment. For it’s that time of year again! Nevertheless, maybe you like me find it more difficult than most years to get into the festive mood. It could be due ill health, a loss of a family member, stress from work problems or the pervading economic pestilence that is stalking the land. The net outcome is that it for many this Christmas feels much darker than usual.
However, just as a tiny tot coming into the world 20 centuries ago shone wonder, hope and comfort into a cheerless world, so too we must do the same. We must bring the lamp of genuine Christian fellowship into another’s dreariness; we must open our individual hearts to all who are lost in some great darkness and we must not fail to use the faithful star of ‘God with us’ to lead ourselves to brighter lands. Or as the chorus of ‘We three kings’ celebrates:
O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still
proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light
With every blessing for a merry, restful and worshipful Christmas
Graham
