Day 24: 24th December, Christmas Eve – ‘The Light shines in the darkness’

‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’ We live in dark and anxious times.  Fears for health, for loved ones, for prosperity, for mental wellbeing are all prevalent in hearts and minds this Christmas.  We are not alone in … Read more

Day 22: 22nd December – ‘Greatly disturbed’

In February each year, the charity Open Doors publishes its World Watch List.  This constitutes the 50 countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian – places where it is not just frowned upon but actually illegal to convert or own a bible, and where persecution is commonplace.  Sadly, the list could be … Read more

Day 21: 21st December – ‘We saw his star’

On this day (21st December) in 2020, the two largest planets in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, aligned so closely to one another in the sky that they appeared to be fused into a single point of light. Although the trajectories of these planets come close to one another every twenty years or so, to … Read more

Day 20: 20th December – ‘Magi came…’

‘We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar…’ The image of the Wise Men or Kings is so iconic that it’s etched into most of our minds.  Three elegant travellers, dressed in fine richly-coloured robes, perched on majestic camels, striding across the desert, with a large train of servants.  There’s usually the … Read more

Day 17: 17th December – ‘The heavenly host’

We live in a spiritual world.  Yes, it’s material and physical as well – but we are also spiritual beings, able to connect with spiritual realities.  We don’t necessarily see those realities very often, but we remain attuned to it. Even in our secular culture, the continuing fascination with ghosts, horoscopes, superstitions and the like, … Read more