Sermon for the 15th of December - United Benefice Carol Service
I wonder what you hope for?
There is so much that can come to mind – so much to long for in this world – both on a personal and a global level. We long for peace, we long for justice, we long for healing for the sick and food for the hungry.
And it can be so easy to despair when we see the news – when we see the damage we are doing to our planet, when we see nations at war, when we see scapegoating and blaming headlines, and see no realistic or affordable solutions. When we see these things, despair can seem our only option.
The late journalist and speechwriter, Michael Gerson, wrote in the Washington Post a few years ago:
“On the evidence of our senses, despair is perfectly rational. Entropy is built into nature. Decay is knit into our flesh. By all appearances, the universe is cold, empty and indifferent…This leaves every human being with a choice between despair and longing. Both are reasonable responses to a great mystery.”
Today, I’d like to suggest that longing is a good thing to do. Because longing produces hope, and hope can open up the possibility of change and lead to action.
The 4th century African bishop, St Augustine, put it like this:
“Hope has two beautiful daughters; their names are Anger and Courage. Anger at the way things are, and Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.”
Hope inspires us to change things, to take action, even when the world seems dark and cold.
Advent is during one of the darkest times of the year. And it’s at exactly this time that we need to be reminded of the light.
The liturgical drama, readings and music, we hear this evening, all remind us of light coming in the midst of dark times, times of exile, occupation and persecution. Into these times, a child is born – born into the mess and pain of this world.
And to the shepherds who came, to the wise men who travelled so far – this child was a symbol of hope. Light coming into the darkness and bringing change.
Looking back over the past 2000 years since Jesus’ birth we’ve seen a lot of change. We’ve seen Christianity grow from a small persecuted sect of Judaism to a global church working to support communities across the whole planet.
In this country alone, we’ve seen the introduction of free education, free healthcare, and laws against slavery racism and discrimination. We have support groups like AA and debt counselling, we have food banks and charities working to care for the poorest and most vulnerable in our society.
We’ve seen enormous advances in medicine and the ability to treat disease and alleviate pain. And all across the earth, people are coming up with innovative ways to make our world a better place.
The Earthshot awards for finding and growing solutions which will repair our planet had remarkable finalists in 2024 including those protecting endangered antelope species from extinction in Kazakhstan, finding ways to turn industrial waste into electricity in the US and palm oil waste into a low carbon alternative to leather in Indonesia.
Closer to home, the charity Oasis, which seeks to create communities in which all people can thrive, has just opened the UK’s first secure school as an alternative to young offenders’ institutions, focussing on rehabilitation and care for young people, who are almost always the victims of trauma or abuse themselves.
There is so much good work going on and so much to be hopeful about.
And Hope is what advent is all about. As we wait for Jesus to come, we are invited to choose longing over despair, We are invited to look for the light …look for the light and the love that is all around us and we will find it.
At first glance, the world can seem very dark and cold, but the darker it is, the brighter the light shines.
So I encourage you in the year ahead to look for the good news stories, notice the acts of kindness of those around you and watch as people make the world a better place in a myriad of ways.
And as we catch glimpses of these good things, may we be inspired to put our energies, our time, into sharing this light and this love… just as Jesus did, and just as many of his followers have continued to do ever since.
I wonder how you will bring hope and light to our world in the year ahead.
I wish you all a very happy and hopeful Christmas.