Bishop of Connor’s Christmas Message 2016

Monday December 19th 2016

The Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev Alan Abernethy.

I do enjoy the Christmas Market, the tangible excitement of children, the smell of food, the crush of people all enjoying the buzz. As well as the market there are the crowds shopping and the queues of traffic seeking somewhere to park. Everywhere is vibrant and busy. The Carol singers and musicians add to the atmosphere and sense of expectation.

Travelling anywhere takes longer, the bus queues are longer and the footpaths become obstacle courses, especially if you are in a hurry. This all adds to the sense of busyness and anticipation of the celebrations, although sometimes it can be difficult not to get frustrated when it is harder to get to places and takes longer to do so. There are times when the words recorded from the first Christmas appear very apt – ‘there is no room…’

My prayers this Christmas are with those who can find nowhere to stay or even somewhere safe to stay, people that are homeless, refugees from war and famine in places like Syria, the Yemen and South Sudan.

For those who worship the word made flesh, we need to wrestle with the tension of how we can celebrate the moment and yet keep room in our thoughts, prayers and actions for those who have no room in which to live.

May we find room to help others find life and hope as Jesus found a stable in a world where there was no room for Him.

+Alan Connor