Where are the wise men and women? - Bishop of St Albans New Year Message
The chill winds of winter brought not only snow and ice in the days before Christmas, but also fear and a sense of foreboding. Many uncertainties loom ahead, gathering like storm clouds on the horizon. The failure of the Copenhagen Climate Summit to produce binding agreements hangs over us, and the prospect of a General Election by May, followed by stringent cuts in public spending, fills many with apprehension. As 2010 begins, and the memory of Christmas fades, we need to think about what we want for our society in the coming year.
On the 6th January Christians celebrate Epiphany – the coming of the Wise Men from the East to worship the Christ Child. Where are the wise men and women today? Where are we going to find the wisdom we desperately need if we are to build a good strong society in which everyone has a stake and has the opportunity to flourish?
One of the distinctive things about the Wise Men is that they did not journey to Bethlehem in order to see what they could get from this baby. Instead they brought gifts. In a society where a frequent mantra is ‘what can I get out of it?’ a wiser response might be to ask ‘what gifts can I contribute?’
The General Election will occur at a time of unprecedented economic challenge for our nation. I’m aware of the cynicism about politics that is around at the moment, but some years ago I spent time in Peru when it was in civil war. It was so awful that I returned home vowing that I would always vote and always engage in political debate. All the other alternatives were too terrible to contemplate. As Christians one of the things we can contribute is not giving in to the cynics but to work for the common good.
As we face a year of difficult choices the example of the wise men has something else to teach us. They were led to a stable, to a family who could not find a room for the night. They came to the poor and the marginalised. We need to ensure that the weak and the vulnerable in our society do not lose out in the coming year but are valued as part of our common life.
Wise men play their part. And that’s what we all need to do in 2010.
+Alan St Albans
