Devon and Cornwall church leaders call Christmas 'a symbol of hope'

The Very Reverend Jonathan Greener, Dean of Exeter, urged people to embrace the way of love, service, and sacrifice

Christian leaders in south-west England have been sending out Christmas messages.

The Very Reverend Jonathan Greener, Dean of Exeter, acknowledged challenges faced in 2023, from struggling public services to climate change and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI).

He also praised the birth of Christ as "a symbol of hope and peace".

Dean Greener emphasised that Christmas offered people a fresh start and a potential turning point.

He quoted St John's Gospel: "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness."

He urged people to embrace "the way of love and service and sacrifice" and then "our world would experience a new dawn, hope would begin to conquer despair, and light would extinguish the darkness".

"We human beings have the mighty responsibility of caring for one another and for our world, but Jesus came to show us what that care looks like in practise," he said.

"As we celebrate His birth, let us recommit ourselves to walking His way, living His life, and being Good News for our world in 2024."

The Right Reverend Hugh Nelson, Bishop of Truro, says Christmas is a testament to God's interest and involvement in our lives

The Right Reverend Hugh Nelson, Bishop of Truro, echoed this sentiment, questioning why God chose to send a vulnerable baby into a dangerous world.

He concluded that Christmas was a testament to God's interest and involvement in our lives.

"That means that God's interested in us, that He's involved with us, that He doesn't need us to have it all sorted before He gets stuck in," he said.

"It means that He's interested in the lives of uncertain new parents in all of their joy. It means that He's interested in the happy laughter of children playing or in the conversation of friends, or in the generosity of a stranger giving to a food bank."

He added: "We might sometimes wonder what God is up to, and why He doesn't do more or do it differently. But Christmas is His promise that He's with us and that He is changing the world."