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A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Stephen Wigley.

Good morning. It’s not been an easy time for Greta Thunberg since she was chosen as Time magazine’s Person of the Year on this day in 2019, following her electrifying speech at the United Nations Climate Action summit. The hope had been that the child of another generation might shame political leaders into more serious action to address climate change. But events over the last 5 years have not turned out as positively as she and her young colleagues had hoped. The COP process seems to be stuttering, the Paris targets seem unlikely to be met, and there are increasing fears that the incoming government of the world’s largest economy, the United States, will pull out of the whole process altogether.

In the meantime the world continues to get warmer, with scientists suggesting that we may already be about to reach the 1.5° increase in temperature which was the Paris goal, and the impact of extreme weather becomes ever more difficult to ignore, whether in the recent devastating floods in Spain or the increasing number and severity of storms across the Caribbean. Is there anything that can be done about this? Perhaps it’s here another child can help us. For Christmas isn’t just a time for children; it’s about a child who is born into this world – and not just any child, but one whom Christians believe to be the Son of God. The gospels are clear that Jesus comes not to judge but to save the world; but also that we will not be saved ‘apart’ from the rest of creation but only ‘as part’ of it. Maybe that’s a message we need to be reminded of in these last 2 weeks before Christmas.

Heavenly Father,
In the good news of Jesus’ birth, you show us the depth of your love for us and for this your world. Help us to learn how to cherish it for its goodness and to share it with all others for whom it is home.
Amen.