A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens highlights the contrast between the poor (Tiny Tim) and the wealthy (Ebenezer Scrooge). The story describes through supernatural interventions, the importance of social responsibility and care for the disadvantaged.
Jesus said that if we, as followers of Him, are seeking to live a life of worship to God the Father, we're called to care for 'the least of these'.
Let me expand how City Christmas Hope is important for us, for those we are giving gifts to, but also for our mission of Helping Bristol Believe!
Us
The pressure at Christmas is to spend, spend, spend – this could be magical experiences, bigger presents, or more luxurious food. And the message of our society is to look after ourselves and our own family. By giving to City Christmas Hope and other charities we are giving ourselves a chance to be socially responsible and help our hearts to be less selfish and inward looking.
This year City Christmas Hope is focusing on these three ways to give:
Stocking for vulnerable and homeless people. All our stockings were collected at Celebration Sunday and have begun arriving back at the office. These will go to homeless and vulnerable people on Wednesday 20th December.
Give a financial gift so we can buy prisoners a present – they will know they are not forgotten – someone does care! Partner charity is Sixty-one. [link to webpage]
Give a financial gift so we can give a gift to social workers – rarely thanked and often overlooked – we want to offer thanks! Partner charity is Home for Good [link to webpage]
Those we are giving gifts to:
For all 3 groups they live with an invisibility – street sleepers are walked past, prisoners are hidden behind walls and barbed wire, social workers are hidden as they make complex decisions that protect the most vulnerable.
City Christmas Hope says to each person you are seen, valued and appreciated. It says the church has not forgotten you and we stand with you. We are expressing compassion because we have a saviour who offers hope to those who are rejected, dismissed and ignored.
Helping Bristol Believe:
Social justice is a message that a believing and non-believing world understands – Dickens’ Christmas Carol is a redemption story of the wealthy that resonates in 2023. Our work colleagues, neighbours and family might dismiss faith in Jesus as old fashion, quaint or peculiar but in my experience social justice is a common ground that allows us to agree and describe that our church is doing good for the poor. I hope that this can become the same for you. So, my dream is that over the years as we increasingly express a care for the poor, many non-church people from our city will join with us to provide care for the poor – this already happens regularly at Streetlife [link} – and then we will be able to invite people to events like the carol service. And that is why we will talk about what City Christmas Hope has achieved at the carol services.
Please get involved this Christmas – let’s demonstrate to the most vulnerable that we are a people who because of supernatural intervention can use our resources to care for those who are struggling this Christmas.