Here we are - Christmas 2016.

This can be listened to here

What is Christmas

at the end of such a year?

Such a year!

endless complicated war in Syria

and the war on ISIS

Hidden wars in Yemen and South Sudan

the dying goes on

and with that the refugees

millions and millions of refugees

looking for hope.

What do we do with so many?

how do we welcome them

care for them

embrace them as our own?

Yet, here we are

a small gathering of hope in the gloom.

The violence goes on

terrorist acts – an easy term

mass shootings

occupations

The death goes on

Brexit

Trump

the world seems to have gone mad

we appear to have lost our way

surrendering what we once held dear.

violent storms

earthquakes shuddering our certainty

the earth seems to be groaning in despair

Yet, here we are

a small gathering of hope in the gloom.

And here in this land

Godzone

Land of promise and opportunity

so many seem to have been left behind

the cost of our comfort laid bare

so many children in poverty

appalling homelessness

Here we are surrounded

families struggling

            with poverty

            with violence

            with hopelessness

Yet, here we are

a small gathering of hope in the gloom.

Hope might seem a distant dream

but we gather in the name of hope

despite all the evidence

we dare to hope

Hope

found in a baby

born 2,000 years ago

in a cave

among the animals

laid in the food trough

His parents were not powerful

            not wealthy

            not notable in any way

they would have been lost if not

            for this baby

He was a refugee

dependant on the welcome of others

            dependant on their generosity

            their care

of others not his people

He grew up among the poor

            as one of the poor

            in a small community

            in the hills of a backwater

calling a cave his home

He is our hope

While Rome raised armies

and crucified those who stood in their way

he healed hopelessness

and restored the shunned to their communities

he gave hope

While Herod and the High Priests

The wealthy of Jerusalem

accumulated power and wealth

leaving so many impoverished

desperate

He ate with the outcast

honoured the widow

blessed the poor

embraced the sinner

He restored community

he was hope

He is hope

He is God’s first thought

he is the Eternal Word

            and one of us

declaring honour on our humanity

declaring God’s embrace for all.

He is God’s pre-emptive strike

living God’s utter, profound, deep love

of you

of me

of all

all who struggle

all who are lost in the way of greed

            or violence

            or despair

all who are lost in self obsession

            and the need for more

He is our hope

So we gather

a small gathering in the gloom

daring to hope

gathering in hope

becoming hope

the hope made real in this birth.