Westminster Record December 2017/January 2018 by RCWestminster

Westminster Record | December 2017/January 2018

Our greatest need is forgiveness by Bishop John Wilson That Mary gave birth to an infant king, not in any palace, but in the cattle shed of Bethlehem, was a sign that a new kind of kingdom was inaugurated. This kingdom brought the life of heaven down to earth. Membership of this kingdom doesn’t dependent on wealth or status, but trust in God’s word. The most magnificent monarch and the lowliest beggar are equals in this kingdom: a Kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace. In this Kingdom the sovereign Lord has a special name, the name Jesus; the name which means ‘God saves.’ It’s probably true to say that very many people today would not admit to needing a saviour: from what exactly do we need to be saved? But this isn’t true for everyone. Do you desire to find a deeper meaning in your life, a purpose to live for, a hope for eternity? Do you long to be loved and healed, at the core of your being, to be able to find forgiveness and peace of mind and heart? Do you want

to turn away from selfishness, from injustice, from indifference, and embrace a more loving way of life? I certainly do. In the person and Gospel of Jesus there is the truth that saves; there is the spiritual strength that offers rescue from futility, from isolation, and from selfobsession.

Thinking about the coming of God’s Son into the world, an anonymous author once wrote: ‘If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; if our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; if our greatest need had been money, God would have sent

us an economist; if our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Saviour.’ May we be saved and

rescued from everything that prevents us honouring each person as a fellow citizen of God’s Kingdom. And may God bless you and your loved ones this Christmastime and throughout 2018.

Longing for Peace by Bishop John Sherrington

In the stillness and darkness of the night, the Word became flesh. Christ was born into the poverty of the stable at Bethlehem and laid in a manger, the feeding trough for animals. The angels sang of the message of peace, ‘Glory to God in the highest and peace to all people of good will’. This song echoes across the ages as we gather to celebrate Christmas again this year. Speaking to young people on his recent visit to Bangladesh, Pope Francis said that there are many young men and women who are ’growing up in a fragile world that cries out for wisdom’. Many circumstances add to making this world a fragile place: the missiles of North Korea, tweets fired off that create tensions between peoples, Brexit (what Page 10

does it mean?), and many economic uncertainties. Many people long to hear again the message of peace and find hope. Christ is the answer to this search for Wisdom and he invites us to listen to his voice and follow him who is the bread of life. This feast invites us to trust in the Christ-Child and pray for the time when swords will be beaten into ploughshares and spears into pruning hooks, when nation shall not lift up sword against nation and war will be no more. We dream of this day and seek to catch glimpses of his kingdom. On the recent pilgrimage to the Holy Land, we stood and prayed for peace at the wall of separation in Bethlehem. We look forward to the day when walls will be replaced by

bridges built on justice and bringing forth God’s peace. On Christmas Day in the little town of Bethlehem, elderly, isolated widows are brought together at St Martha’s House to sing, dance and share food together. There we see a sign of the hope of which we sing this Christmas. Bishop John led this year’s diocesan pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The pilgrims visited St Martha’s House, a day centre for elderly widows, while they were in Bethlehem.