Tower and Town, December 2025 (view the full edition)Clergy LetterWe seem to be a society short on hope at the moment. This past year the Royal Family, the BBC, and even the Church of England have all faced their share of struggles and disappointments. As someone who has long supported these institutions, it feels disheartening to see so much uncertainty and self-doubt. Many have compared our national mood to that of the 1970s - though thankfully, without the flares, glam rock, or power cuts! Perhaps that's why it's worth going back to the beginning when it comes to Christmas - for it is, at heart, a story of great hope. Christians chose to celebrate Jesus' birth in the darkest part of the year because the story itself is one of darkness turning to light. Before Christmas the days grow ever shorter, but after it they begin, slowly, to lengthen again. The prophet Isaiah foresaw this when he wrote, "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2) At Christmas the physical and the spiritual come together: light begins to pierce the darkness, and hope rises again in weary hearts. This rightly cheers our spirits, because Jesus' coming was no accident. It was deliberate, born of love. God saw the mess the world had made and chose to act. That is why the angels told the shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you." (Luke 2:10-11) This good news still brings hope - of forgiveness, freedom, and eternal life. For a world that so often feels weighed down by fear and judgment, that sounds a bit like scoring a late winner in a cup final! During my sabbatical this year, I felt renewed by God's grace and filled with fresh hope. Out of that came a novel I've written, Channel Tides, inspired by the migrant crisis and subtitled When Hope Takes the Helm. We are a society much in need of that very thing. This Christmas, our churches will be exploring the theme of hope. If you're in need of a lift this winter, you'll find details of our services in this magazine or on our website. And as Phillips Brooks wrote so beautifully in O Little Town of Bethlehem: "Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; Chris Smith |