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My very first memory of Christmas was as a child when the carol singers came into the Rectory hall where we had a very tall Christmas tree.听 I was sitting at the top of the stairs in my dressing gown and slippers with my mother, listening to them sing below.听

Christmas night鈥� that time of year when the world seems to stop whirling and we pause for a听 moment to contemplate the birth of a baby born amongst the animals in a stable 2023 years ago, that turned the values of this world upside down. The birth of a baby is always special 鈥� just a month ago my 47 year old cousin gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. How very special that was. She and her husband are absolutely thrilled to have a sister for their two year old daughter.

One thinks also of that amazing sign of hope in the conflict in the Middle East when fragile infants were taken from the no longer functioning hospital in North Gaza and moved to safety of hospitals with working incubators in Egypt. Remember too how the Holy Family themselves had to flee into Egypt when Jesus was also an infant, to escape the wrath of King Herod. They too knew what it was like to seek refuge.

This poem by Malcolm Guite, priest and poet asks some poignant questions. It is called: Refugee.

We think of him as safe beneath the steeple,

Or cosy in a crib beneath the font,

But he is with a million displaced people

On the long road of weariness and want.

For even as we sing our final carol

His family is up and on that road,

Fleeing the wrath of someone else鈥檚 quarrel,

Glancing behind and shouldering their load.

Whilst Herod rages still from his dark tower

Christ clings to Mary, fingers tightly curled,

The lambs are slaughtered by the men of power,

And death squads spread their curse across the world.

But every Herod dies, and comes alone

To stand before the Lamb upon the throne.

As Malcolm says of this poem: 鈥淭his scarred and wounded world is the one into which Jesus was born, the world He came to save鈥�

This year I鈥檓 spending the Christmas season in Austria, staying in a small village called St Martin bei Lofer,听 an hour and a half鈥檚 drive from Salzburg. I鈥檓 there in my capacity as a spiritual tour guide for a Christian Travel Company that organises Pilgrimages to many听 parts of the world,听 and I will have the privilege of leading worship in different Austrian Churches.

The last time I spent Christmas away from home was before I started ministry, way back in 1978 when I was attending the Bossey Graduate School near Geneva, as part of my theological college training. On that occasion I spent Christmas with some Swiss friends of my parents who lived in another mountain village called Thayngen, nr Shaffhausen in North Switzerland.

On the afternoon of Xmas eve I visited the little church in the village, and was somewhat surprised to find an extremely tall Xmas tree festooned in what looked like white string. On each of the many branches of the tree were fastened real candles. Later in the afternoon we went out onto the mountain side to cut down my friends Christmas tree and bring it into the house.听 That night we all听 attended the village Church. Once the service had started, all the church lights were turned off, and a听 young chorister entered with a candle in his hand.

He went up to the tree, and proceeded to light the bottom end of the string. SUDDENLY the whole tree was blazing. WOW!! That waxy string I had seen earlier was attached to each and every candle, and as the flame spread up the giant taper, the wick on the individual candle caught alight.听 As the tree had only been brought in to the Church that morning, there was plenty of sap in it, so there was no danger of the whole tree catching fire.听 Moses and the burning bush had nothing on that Christmas tree! It was a sight I will never forget, and I think of it every Christmas. One candle can lighten the darkness. One baby born in a stable can change the world.

For me The true meaning of Christmas is all about joy and hope. And how badly we all need hope in our world today. When we look at the state of things it is too easy to give up hope, but that is what I believe Jesus was sent into the world to bring:听 A message of hope and of love.

To teach us to love our Creator God, and our neighbours -whatever their colour, creed or religion 鈥� as much as we love ourselves.

On the eve of Christmas Eve one of the places I visited on our Austrian Pilgrimage,听 was the village of Obendorf. That is the place where the famous Carol : 鈥楽ilent night, Holy night鈥� was first played and sung on Xmas eve in 1818. Both the words and the听 music have been a backdrop to Christmases ever since.

So, what do I wish you all this Christmas season ? Firstly a time of peace with your families and loved ones.听 For those of you who, like me, have lost a much loved husband, wife or partner recently, may your memories be happy ones, even if tinged with sadness that they are no longer with us.听 And for the world a time of peace. I give thanks for the birth of Christ, the Prince of Peace, and for births in our own families, and across the globe.

Soon it will be another year, with all the hopes and expectations that brings. I am looking forward to celebrating the 30th Anniversary of my Ordination to the Priesthood on the 12th March 1994 鈥� the first ever such service where women could be ordained in England, when 32 of us women were made Priests in a wonderful service in Bristol Cathedral.

I personally will also be looking forward to Celebrating a special birthday a month or so later. It doesn鈥檛 seem possible that I will be entering another decade, I only feel half that age in my head! Whatever you are looking forward to next year, I wish you a joyful, hopeful and peaceful time.

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