When war rages in many parts of the world, not least in Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar and in many parts of Africa, it may sound naive or over-optimistic to recall us to the truth of Christmas – of Jesus as the Prince of Peace. But it is a reminder salutary and necessary.

We should think of those shepherds who came to find Jesus, guided by the call of an angel, and singing Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth. Peace remains the aim and the focus of this season.

Of course, our powerlessness as onlookers to the world’s conflicts may blind us to the fact that we can pray, and we can hope.

We can pray that the God whose Son came into the world at Christmas will once more intervene for our good. We might say, Lord bring peace to your world. And let it begin with us – in our relationships and in our differences.

The weeks leading up to Christmas – the season of Advent – are for Christians weeks of penitence, a period of preparation and self-examination. We ask that the searching light of God’s presence may enable us to be honest about our failings, to be genuinely sorry for them and to resolve to amend our lives in the light of them.

But Advent is also a period of hope – of looking forward with confidence, because Jesus is the Advent hope.

Peace, then, and hope for the future – these are the gifts we pray that God will give us this Christmas.

With every blessing,

Stephen