Bishop of Plymouth reflects on Christmas hope and realities

Are you a glass half empty or half full kind of person? 

Many of us will answer instantly and instinctively, and if we don’t our family members will answer for us! It may be particularly evident at this time of year. 

When it comes to Christmas, some of us relate best to Scrooge, famous for his ‘Bah, humbug’ attitude. 

Others are more like the little-known Fynes Moryson, the person credited with inventing the phrase ‘Merry Christmas’ and naming Prosecco!

Actually, people are way more complicated than simply half-full or half-empty. 

And so is life. In many homes that’s evident in the highs and lows of Christmas Day alone, with the emotional rollercoaster between joy, laughter, arguments and tears. 

In reality, most people are neither living the dream nor are totally without hope, but existing somewhere in between, experiencing good days and bad days. 

Similarly, most people are not simply evil or simply good. 

We see that time and again with scandals involving gifted and popular people who have another side. 

This is true of every walk of life, including the church. 

This is not, in any way, to excuse or downplay cases of abuse or safeguarding failures.

In fact, the opposite is true, when it comes to safeguarding, there are no excuses for abuse whoever it is. 

But in other contexts, we need to acknowledge that none of us are perfect, we all have flaws. 

Despite my best intentions, I do sometimes cause hurt to other people, most often those closest to me. 

As a society we still live with high levels of poverty, too many people are homeless or struggling to feed their children. 

Yet we also see daily examples of generosity and kindness. 

Across the world there is war, violence, abuse and corruption - but when nations work together, we know that change can happen. 

We live in a half-full, half-empty reality that we can’t sort ourselves no matter how hard we try. 

That’s why God became flesh and entered into our world that first Christmas. 

God who loves us without limits. 

God who can cope with the fact that at one and the same time we are loveable and yet have bits of us that cause harm and hurt to others. 

He who accepts us as we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way. 

Jesus who is wholly good and came to provide hope in our hopelessness and light in the dark places. 

Now that’s a reason to raise half a glass of prosecco this Christmas and maybe even to pop along to your local church to sing some carols, wish everyone Merry Christmas, and hear more about this God who loves us completely.