Dear friends,
Of all the season's of the year it is Christmas that most likely finds us journeying to our local church to become part of that great story of wonder and new beginning.
The Nativity story itself is one of the great journey narratives of our time. Mary and Joseph journey to Nazareth, the Shepherds journey from their fields, the Wise journey from nations afar, even we ourselves journey to Carol Services, Midnight Mass and Christmas Morning that all the more we may wonder at God's journey to come among us in the babe, the Christ child.
We have the gloss of century's tradition, and these days Christmas shows putting their own shine on that first daystar starlit sky.
The reality of Mary and Joseph's perilous census journey to crowd the village of their ancestry though is all too common an experience for modern day refugees.
Today's migrants seek new beginnings in escaping poverty, and seek safety in escaping war. And these days we see more desperate journeys still, as people travel to temporary tarpaulin shelters or swiftly constructed treatment centres seeking aid against Ebola.
Please remember these modern day nativity families in your gift giving this year to the Disasters Emergency Committee.
May we be ready to offer new beginnings for survivors of poverty war and epidemic that all mankind may look to the light and hope of a new dawn in realising our belonging together in our common humanity.
Grace and Peace be yours this Christmas.
Rev'd Brin Singleton
Rector
