Keeping Hope

Last year at this time I wrote about the hope that we have for the new year; indeed HOPE has been our banner as Christians in Crewe throughout 2008. It has been a privilege to work together with people from all sorts of Christian traditions. We have demonstrated the transforming love of Jesus Christ, and tried to give people hope wherever we have been.

Twelve months on, and we find ourselves caught in financial crises and recession. Many families are facing Christmas with the fear of unemployment, uncertain income, rising debt and worries about the security of their homes. The need for hope is even greater now than before.

And so we come to Christmas in hope, but for many people this time of year brings even more anxieties. The TV adverts will be louder than ever, fuelling demands for ever more spending, on ever more presents – it can be hard to remember what Christmas is really about.

In the familiar Christmas hymn, ‘O little town of Bethlehem’, the author reminds us that in the birth of Jesus the salvation of the world was being played out in Bethlehem.
In thy dark street shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

The gospel of Luke makes it clear that this is an occasion of great joy and hope – that it is Good News. He tells us what the good news is: a Saviour is born! He is Christ the Lord! God’s answer to the needs of the world was to send a baby!
People everywhere were looking for a deliverer, perhaps another Moses; for a king coming in glory and splendour; for a long-promised Messiah. And God sent a baby! A baby, yes, but this Baby was the Incarnate God!

And he came to bring the light of the love and mercy of God to us lost sinners and to guide us in the way of peace. So I pray that we can put aside the pressures and demands, and come together to meet this Baby of peace and hope:

Loving God, meet us in our fear and hear our prayer:
be a tower of strength amidst the shifting sands,
and a light in the darkness;
help us receive your gift of peace and hope,
and fix our hearts where true joys are to be found,
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.