From The Editor

Editor

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In the real world Christmas always dawns, bringing with it the timeless message of hope, peace and love for all – and the transformation of the world following the birth of a baby boy in the humblest of surroundings and representing the light of the world as the Son of God.

A YEAR ago there were media headlines of ‘Christmas is cancelled’ when new lockdown restrictions were imposed only six days before December 25 amid the discovery of a new Covid-19 variant and soaring case numbers.

Churches again faced up to the prospect of closure for public worship and disrupted plans and restrictions which lasted until Easter.

Yet Christmas can never be cancelled. Unlike the land of Narnia, famously featured in CS Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where Christmas never comes as the land is held in the thrall of perpetual winter, in the real world Christmas always dawns, bringing with it the timeless message of hope, peace and love for all – and the transformation of the world following the birth of a baby boy in the humblest of surroundings and representing the light of the world as the Son of God.

At the time of writing it is difficult to predict how Christmas 2021 might look.

The key will be flexibility – and a willingness to be creative and change – and it may be that we have to be ready for this sort of change every winter in future.

A year ago there was hope that the world would look a little more ‘normal’ by this Christmas.

As has been the case throughout the global pandemic, that has proved not to be the case, but with the challenge of enforced change has come the opportunity to try new things and engage with each other and our communities in new, necessary ways.

Not everything has worked – there have been failures along the way – but also much learning.

The necessary flexibility enforced on the Church during this year will stand all in good stead in the years and months ahead as further changes and necessary questions are grappled with over congregations, buildings, resources, ministers and staff. Flexibility will be needed by all engaging with our Church to ensure its reform, regeneration and rebirth – and its reflection of the love of God in our Christian witness to communities across our land in this season of love, joy and peace. ¤