Archbishop of Wales' Christmas message

The new Archbishop of Wales pays tribute to those who have shown “selfless love” during the Covid pandemic, in his Christmas message.

Despite the worry and uncertainty of this year, Archbishop Andrew John says we have seen “extraordinary acts of kindness” . He thanks NHS and frontline workers and also those friends, neighbours and individuals who have looked out for each other and shown love in action.

“Throughout this period we have seen extraordinary acts of kindness displayed in our communities and the kind of dogged resolve which is unglamorous but presents something of the transforming love of God seen in action,” he says.

“It seems to me that they are among those who have drawn closest to the light of the Christ child and understood that love has a human face.”

The Archbishop’s full Christmas message follows.

Archbishop Andrew will be preaching at Bangor Cathedral on Christmas Day. The service in Welsh, Cymun Bendigaid ar Gân, begins at 9.15am and the Choral Holy Eucharist at 11am. All are welcome.

Few of us would have imagined that we would once again be facing a period of uncertainty as we try to be rid of the pandemic which has gripped the whole world. Another year has passed and once more we are considering what kind of changes may be required of us as we face another so-called ‘new normal’. Many of us will look back and think of opportunities denied us, loved ones gone and occasions missed which we are unlikely to have again.

And yet, to quote wisdom from a previous age, it has also been the best of times as well as the worst of times. Throughout this period we have seen extraordinary acts of kindness displayed in our communities and the kind of dogged resolve which is unglamorous but presents something of the transforming love of God seen in action. I have witnessed personally the joy of faces greeting each other on Zoom services, the warm glow of voices glad to encounter friends and neighbours even if down the digital lines.

The message of Christmas resonates strongly with my own experience this year: light has shone brightly in dark times and hope has sprung up when least expected. So it was when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. Few could have guessed this marked the beginning of something new and different. Christians believe and celebrate the coming of God into our midst, the moment when God stepped into the affairs of humanity and showed what transforming love looks like. When we recall that this happened through the birth of a child to a family in a Roman outpost, it is as remarkable as the message of hope itself.

I want to thank again those who have shown that selfless love which has touched our everyday lives – those working in the NHS and other frontline services. I want to thank the countless individuals who ensure that friends and neighbours do not feel isolated or forgotten. Above all I want to thank those myriads of unassuming folk who have shown what love in action can achieve. It seems to me that they are among those who have drawn closest to the light of the Christ child and understood that love has a human face.

The Most Revd Andrew John

Archbishop of Wales