Christmas offers glimmer of hope in warring world

THIS CHRISTMAS the world seems a troubled place.

- By Graham Tomlin

The horrifying attack on Bondi Beach has shaken us, and drawn grim attention to the rising levels of antisemitism across the world. Add to that the heartbreaking scenes of devastation in Gaza, the staggering one million deaths and injuries in the RussiaUkraine war, the ongoing violence in Uganda, the DRC and Sudan, and the world feels ill at ease.At the same time, our society seems more fragmented and polarised than ever. Debates over immigration, gender politics, Israel and Gaza, assisted dying, to name just a few, seem to divide us into ever-increasing levels of distrust.

And fear of what will happen with climate change, and the unknown outlook for humanity in a world of AI, makes the future seem unstable and uncertain.

Christmas is a time when we yearn for peace, whether peace from global conflicts, peace amongst our families or simply a greater sense of peace in our own troubled hearts.

It is a time that seems to offer a glimmer of hope, a pause in the year when our longing for peace comes to the fore. If you go to a carol service this Christmas, you may well sing these lines:

Peace on the earth, good will to men, From heaven's all-gracious King. The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.