A few weeks ago, The Queen and I were delighted
to
make a State Visit to the Vatican where we prayed with
Pope
Leo in a historic moment of spiritual unity. Together,
we
celebrated the Jubilee theme, “Pilgrims of
Hope”.
Pilgrimage is a word less used today, but it has
particular
significance for our modern world, and especially
at
Christmas. It is about journeying forward, into the
future,
while also journeying back to remember the past and
learn
from its lessons.
We did this during the Summer, as we celebrated
the
80th Anniversaries of VE and VJ Day. The end of the
Second
World War is now remembered by fewer and fewer of us,
as
the years pass. But the courage and sacrifice of
our
servicemen and women, and the way communities
came
together in the face of such great challenge, carry a
timeless
message for us all. These are the values which have
shaped
our country and the Commonwealth. As we hear of
division,
both at home and abroad, they are the values of which
we
must never lose sight. For instance, it is impossible
not to be
deeply moved by the ages of the fallen – as the
gravestones in
our War Cemeteries remind us. The young people
who
fought and helped save us from defeat in both World
Wars
were often only 18, 19, or 20 years of
age.
Journeying is a constant theme of the Christmas
Story.
The Holy Family made a journey to Bethlehem and
arrived
homeless without proper shelter. The Wise Men made
a
pilgrimage from the East to worship at the cradle of
Christ;
and the Shepherds journeyed from field to town in
search of
Jesus, the Saviour of the World. In each case, they
journeyed
with others; and relied on the companionship and
kindness of
others. Through physical and mental challenge, they
found an
inner strength. To this day, in times of uncertainty,
these
ways of living are treasured by all the great Faiths
and provide
us with deep wells of hope: of resilience in the face
of
adversity; peace through forgiveness; simply getting to
know
our neighbours and, by showing respect to one
another,
creating new friendships.
Indeed, as our world seems to spin ever faster,
our
journeying may pause, to quieten our minds – in T.S.
Eliot’s
words “At the still point of the turning world” – and
allow our
souls to renew. In this, with the great diversity of
our
communities, we can find the strength to ensure that
right
triumphs over wrong. It seems to me that we need to
cherish
the values of compassion and reconciliation; the way
Our
Lord lived and died. This year, I have heard so
many
examples of this, both here and abroad. These stories
of the
triumph of courage over adversity give me hope, from
our
venerable military veterans to selfless humanitarian
workers
in this century’s most dangerous conflict zones; to the
ways in
which individuals and communities display
spontaneous
bravery, instinctively placing themselves in harm’s way
to
defend others.
As I meet people of different faiths, I find it
enormously
encouraging to hear how much we have in common; a
shared
longing for peace and a deep respect for all life. If
we can find
time in our journey through life to think on these
virtues we
can all make the future more hopeful. Of course, the
greatest
pilgrimage of all is the journey we celebrate today –
the story
of the One who ‘came down to Earth from Heaven’,
‘whose
shelter was a stable’ and who shared his life with ‘the
poor
and lowly’. It was a pilgrimage with a purpose,
heralded by
Angels, that there should be peace on Earth. That
prayer for
peace and reconciliation – for “doing to others as we
would
have them do to us” – which rang out over the fields
near
Bethlehem more than two thousand years ago,
still
reverberates from there and around the world today. It
is a
prayer for our times, and our communities too, as we
journey
through our lives.
So, with these words and my whole heart, I wish you
all
a most peaceful and very happy
Christmas.
