Watch the Vicar of Mossley, Reverend David Warner, deliver a Christmas message and read his final column of 2021 for the Tameside Reporter.

'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.' 

This verse from St John's Gospel is often read during Christmas services as part of a longer reading talking about Jesus, 'the Word made flesh'. 

As we gather close to our Christmas trees and enjoy the light that decorations give to our homes and businesses, there is lots of darkness round us - the darkness of the continuing struggle with Covid, the darkness of the world, as winter brings longer nights and shorter days, and for many the darkness of the worries, grief and concerns that become especially hard to bear at this time of year.

The TV adverts show us so much of an idealised situation - families gathering together in perfect harmony amidst mountains of food and tonnes of presents. 

The pressure to try and make this a reality can be overwhelming or simply impossible for many of us.

Whatever your Christmas is, please try to focus on the light of what it is, and not the darkness of what it might not be - you may not feel like celebrating for so many reasons, or you may be delighted to be with family again after the privations of the last year.

Whatever you are doing this Christmas, and whoever you are doing it with, I hope you have a blessed and peaceful time.

In the lights of the trees and decorations, we see the light of love and joy, the light which shines across the centuries from the manger in Bethlehem, from which, as John’s Gospel puts it 'The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.' 

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