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The supermarket shelves are stacked with Christmas goodies and very
soon our streets and houses will be decked with festive lights.
Presents will be bought and brightly wrapped and numerous cards will
be sent and received. Some of us will look back on happy memories of
Christmases past – of tiny presents in stockings hung on the bedpost,
of family gatherings and singing carols around the piano. Others will
have sad memories of when times were hard and presents few, when it
was a struggle to find bread enough for the family, let alone provide
festive food.

This year there are those who will be celebrating their first Christmas as
parents, others will be dreading their first Christmas without a loved one
who has died. I don’t wish to be gloomy, but in all the excitement, hustle
and bustle leading up to Christmas, we do need to think about and pray
for those who are so much less fortunate than ourselves.

Looking back over the year, beginning with the terrible Boxing Day
Tsunami, thousands of people have been maimed, killed or bereaved of
loved ones as well as losing their homes, livelihoods and possessions as
the result of hurricane, earthquake, flood and drought. We cannot
imagine what life is like for the survivors of these natural disasters.
But for those of us who have so much to be thankful for, I feel that we
can do our part in shedding something of the Light of Christ into these
dark areas of the world.

For instance, this year I will let my friends know that I intend to send a
cash donation to the Earthquake appeal, on their behalf, in lieu of my
usual Christmas gift to them and hope that they will follow suit by
donating to a charity of their choice. You might like to put this into
practice yourselves!

It will have a ‘knock on’ effect too. Because instead of wracking our
brains, wondering what gifts to buy, we will be able to find time in the
midst of all the busyness and preparation, to savour the true Spirit of
Christmas, which began with the Christ child in Bethlehem, who grew up
to be our friend and Saviour Jesus Christ.

At St John’s we look forward to greeting you at the Christmas Services
listed in the magazine. On behalf of Peter Lambert, Anne Brooker and
our church family, I would like to wish you all a very Happy and Peaceful
Christmas season. Let us pray that the love and ‘goodwill to all’
generated at this time of year will continue long into 2006.

With Love in Christ, Diana

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