Festive message of hope for 'better times to come'

Guernsey's religious and community leaders reflected on the past 12 months in their messages

The bailiff of Guernsey and the dean have given a Christmas messages of hope to islanders.

Both messages focused on better times to come for the world and those affected by tragedy.

The Bailiff Richard McMahon said it was a time for islanders to come together and celebrate.

He reflected on the tragedies seen across the world and in Jersey, focusing on "better times to come" in 2023.

Mr McMahon said: "Christmas is a time of hope and aspiration that whatever bad things might have been coming down the track in the last few months, there is always that opportunity that belief that next year will be so much better.

"What we want to do this Christmas is have that sense of coming together once again, and being a real community and looking ahead to hopefully some better times to come."

The Dean of Guernsey, the Very Reverend Tim Barker said the island had seen tough times with the rising cost of living.

He said: "Fuel and food prices have increased over the past year, many even in Guernsey and Jersey are anxious about the cost of living.

"Life was difficult in the Holyland two thousand years ago, the Roman occupiers and their puppet kings like Herod, were unpopular to say the least, Mary and Joseph had an uncomfortable journey from Nazareth, to Bethlehem and yet Jesus was born into that fragile and frightening world."

Dean Barker said it was a "sign that the world and its people matter to God because he was prepared to come amongst us in the form of that tiny baby Jesus Emmanuel, God with us, then and now and always".

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