The Very Reverend John Dobson, Dean of Ripon, has compiled this Christmas message for the Stray Ferret.

Every year, the church celebrates Christmas as a season which offers hope for our lives as they are lived in the real world today.

Based on faith in the indestructible love of the God who sustains the universe, revealed in the down-to-earth achievements of Jesus Christ, this is sure and certain hope which has the courage to face life’s tragedies and lead the world forward from despair.

We know that there is plenty in the world today that might prompt despair. I hardly need mention the ongoing pandemic, which seems to be doubling its efforts to frustrate our determination to celebrate this season with family and friends. But beyond this, as we look forward to 2022, there are economic uncertainties, the challenges of climate change, and the fragility or absence of peace across great swathes of the globe.

And as a result, the growing challenge of desperate people leaving their homelands in pursuit of safety and a better life seems set to intensify. I am proud to be dean in a city where the charity City of Sanctuary UK does such a great job in responding to the needs of refugees.

And you may well be thinking that quite apart from the problems ‘out there’, we are all too aware of innumerable ways in which some, perhaps we ourselves, are suffering. All of this might seem guaranteed not only to prevent us enjoying a happy Christmas, but actually to undermine its message of a loving, down-to-earth God made visible in the birth of Jesus.

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Yet Jesus came to a fallen world beset by no end of failures and problems, to a region that was particularly unstable and threatening. Since then, the church has perceived in his birth the revelation and decisive action of the God of heaven, determined to be down-to-earth and involved.

We might regard this to be a strange way for God to save the world, but St. Paul wrote of God’s foolishness being wiser than human wisdom, and his weakness being stronger than human strength. So, with God, the vulnerable baby lying in a manger in Bethlehem speaks of hope for us all.

The hope is that none of the world’s challenges and failings has the final say. This is hope that can comfort and motivate individuals, unite the nations, and sustainably transform the world for the better. It is hope which stands firm on the foundation of God’s love and his determination to be down-to-earth and with us in every situation.

This theme of hope is celebrated and shared in the Christmas services of Ripon Cathedral where Christians have gathered for 1,350 years, an anniversary we shall be celebrating in 2022. It is celebrated by all churches around the world. The world is better for taking to heart the theme and joining in the celebration.

You are very welcome to join us; you can find full details of what Ripon Cathedral is offering for both worshippers and visitors of all ages on our website here.

Here is a prayer that we are using at the cathedral:

Loving Father, we thank you for the message of hope that Christmas brings to our troubled world. Give hope among the nations, hope in our land, hope in our homes and hope in our hearts; as we remember the birth at Bethlehem of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year.

Dean John