Messages of hope: Bishops speak of global struggles and God's love as they post Christmas messages

Bishops from across the West Midlands and Staffordshire have released their thoughts during a festive break where headlines are dominated by war and rising costs.

The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, describes our world as a “terrible state” but urges people to remain faithful to God as they approach Christmas and to allow peace to win over hatred. He says: “There is so much war, so much distress in our world currently – in Ukraine, in the Holy Land, in Sudan and elsewhere.

“What a terrible state we’re in. So can we hush the noise and hear the love song that the angels bring? My hope and prayer is we will be able to let the message of peace fill our hearts and hear the song of the angels and the words of the Prince of Peace."

Bishop of Dudley Martin Gorick describes his dismay at the poverty he sees on his doorstep, which illustrates the economic divides within our region.

In his message he says: “I recently visited a Church of England school in a deprived part of Dudley borough.

“Children born there today have a life expectancy 10 years shorter than those born just a few miles further south. That is a shocking!

But it motivates the staff to do all they can to turn that around – to hope for and expect better outcomes for those children, to bring light in the midst of darkness, to enable those children themselves to be beacons of light in their communities.” He describes the world as being full of “darkness and despair” but adds: “The light of Christ brings hope.”

Bishop of Stafford Matthew Parker says his thoughts are with those struggling financially, through a benefit cut or the loss of a job. And he condemns the UK’s “the indifferent operation of forces and systems”.

The church leaders across our region today offered their Christmas blessings – and expressed a hope that 2004 will bring peace and prosperity.

The messages spoke of global conflicts as well as the of the ongoing cost of living crisis, but also of the blessings of God and Jesus and the reminder of being strong in dark times.

Each bishop has also addressed their own personal feelings about the current struggles of the time and how they have addressed God's love over this period of time.

Finally, each bishop within the Diocese of Lichfield and Worcester have given their best wishes to everyone and spoken of their hopes for everyone to have a happy and safe Christmas.

Read their full messages below:

The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge

" 'It came upon the midnight clear. That glorious song of old.' The carol goes on to tell us the song to which it’s referring: “Peace on earth, goodwill to men from heaven’s all gracious King.”

But it’s words from verse 3 which seem particularly apt at the moment: “And man at war with man, hears not the love song which they bring. Oh hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing!”

There is so much war, so much distress in our world currently - in Ukraine, in the Holy Land, in Sudan and elsewhere. What a terrible state we're in.

So can we hush the noise and hear the love song that the angels bring? My hope and prayer is that this Christmas, we will be able to let the message of peace fill our hearts and hear the song of the angels and the words of the Prince of Peace. We need to follow him and remind ourselves that if there is to be peace on Earth, it must begin with us. I pray that Jesus’ message of peace will reach deep into all our hearts so that we become peacemakers and peace givers.

And may your hearts also be filled with hope that this Prince of Peace will one day come again in glory, and peace shall indeed reign over all the earth and over all creation.

Happy Christmas."

The Bishop of Dudley, Martin Gorick

"I recently visited a Church of England school in a deprived part of Dudley Borough.

Children born there today have a life expectancy ten years shorter than those born just a few miles further south. That is a shocking!

But it motivates the staff to do all they can to turn that around.

To hope for and expect better outcomes for those children. To bring light in the midst of darkness. To enable those children themselves to be beacons of light in their communities.

In a world full of darkness and despair, the light of Christ brings hope. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, church schools and churches bring help and friendship, with the God of love at the heart of all that they do.

God came to live amongst us at Christmas. God was born amongst us in Jesus.

There was a cost to that living - cruel men took Jesus and nailed him to the cross. His birth wasn’t the end, as Easter will show us soon enough. God is as he is in Jesus and so I know God is with all who are suffering today, wherever they may be.

But for now, let us be confident. God’s love is strong, stronger even than this dark world’s hate.

The school children sang a joyful song, ‘My Lighthouse’, and told me about Jesus being a light to lighten their path.

God is with Us in Jesus.

In the darkest of nights, his light will shine!"

Bishop of Stafford, Matthew Parker

"I have been struck afresh by the fact that Mary was forced to lay her child Jesus in a manger “because here was no place for them in the inn”.

It is a heart rending little phrase - there was “no place for them”. No room for a expectant mother, an anxious father, and a newborn child.

There is no evidence that this was the result of deliberate cruelty or hostility towards this fragile little family.

The city was busy and the inn keeper frazzled; there was pressure on accommodation and resources were stretched.

A decision had been made by someone else, somewhere else, that everyone had to return to their ancestral home to register.

Joseph and Mary were simply caught up in a bureaucratic machine working its way through its routines.

In a cost-of-living crisis, we have all become aware of the ways in which we, and others, can suddenly find ourselves feeling as though we have “no place” due to impersonal forces outside our control.

A change is made to the benefits system, a job is cut, a price cap raised, a war begins overseas, and suddenly our place in the world is taken from us. It’s nothing “personal”, you understand, just the indifferent operation of forces and systems.

It is a terrible thing to have no place but, if that’s how it feels for you, then there is good news this Christmas.

The One who was laid in a manger because there was no place for him in the inn comes to us bringing his love and joy and hope.

It is a message for everyone but especially for those who feel lonely, overlooked, and locked out.

There is nothing careless or indifferent about the new world that Jesus brings into being by his birth among us. God makes room for us.

In God’s glorious kingdom everyone counts and there is room for everyone, and everyone has a place."

Acting Bishop of Wolverhampton, Jonathan Clark

"It’s only when it’s really dark, that you realise how much you need the light.

Here in Orkney, where I live when I’m not in the Midlands, it gets dark really early at this time of year.

It also gets quite stormy, so we’re all used to having occasional power cuts.

But even so, when the light goes off there’s that moment of panic when you can’t see a thing, and you’re fumbling around for your phone, or a box of matches, or whatever will shed a little light.

Then you wander around the house looking for all the battery operated lights, and wondering if you’re going to need to get the camping stove out.

Not many of us probably would admit to being scared of the dark – but I’m sure most of would prefer to have a little light.

Those of us who go to church on Christmas will probably have heard the words from the beginning of John’s gospel: ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’.

John’s taking the idea of physical light and darkness, and transferring them across to something much bigger, the light of the love of God who created the world, which he saw taking human form in Jesus Christ.

At the darkest time of the year, the message he was telling was a message of hope: that the power of darkness has been defeated.

As you celebrate this Christmas, I hope you have a time full of light and happiness.

But if this Christmas is a tough time for you, I hope you will find in it the message of hope, that God’s love is always shining into the world."