A Christmas message from the Bishop of Worcester - The Worcester Observer

A Christmas message from the Bishop of Worcester

Worcester Editorial 25th Dec, 2017   0

CHRISTMAS is a time of goodwill. ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to all people’ sang the angels at the birth of Jesus, as recorded by St Luke in the Bible .

I recently visited Worcester foodbank, which like many others, is organised by local churches, and which is a hive of activity at Christmas time. When thinking about goodwill, you won’t find a better example than foodbanks.

They are a tangible sign of goodwill, of people demonstrating concern for those in need.

Foodbanks show love in action rather than an airy, sentimental sort of love.




Similarly, Christmas makes clear that God doesn’t just love us in an airy, sentimental, romantic sort of fashion which doesn’t actually do anything. God’s love takes action in order to care for us, in order to save us.

‘God so loved the world that he sent his only son into the world.’ St John tells us. The word ‘Jesus’ means ‘he saves’. Jesus came to Earth in order to demonstrate the great love that God has for us, to enfold us and save us with that love.


And although at Christmas the shelves of foodbanks are filled with Christmassy things as well as essentials, in order to try and give people just that little bit extra to be cheerful about, in fact foodbanks operate all the year round – goodwill should be for all seasons. The same is true of God’s love.

For what God shows us in the birth of the Christ child, which we celebrate at this time, is his unending, invincible and abiding love for us. A love which will be in action for us into all eternity.

I wish you a very happy Christmas.

Rt Rev Dr John Inge

Bishop of Worcester

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