Rev Jonathan Fleming

Minister of Cumbrae/ Largs: St John’s Church of Scotland

And so Advent - our time of waiting has begun. Last Sunday, the Candles of Hope and Peace will have been lit in churches across the world as we approach Christmas at a rapid rate of knots.

I cannot help but feel that we need these two things more than ever. We should never reach a point where striving for peace seems hopeless...

In a world filled with expressions of exclusion, fearmongering and injustice, it is extraordinary to observe the parallels between the world we currently live in and the world into which Jesus was born over 2000 years ago. Jesus, even at his birth, exposes the violence of King Herod and sets the scene for the fear-filled society which Jesus grew up in and, in turn, challenged with his teaching and actions thirty years later.

It is not hopeless to work towards peace and we all have a part to play in making peace possible be it peace of mind, peace of spirit or peace of nations. As Dr Martin Luther King Jr once said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that”.

May this time of Advent, during which we journey on to celebrating the birth of Jesus, who many believe embodies Hope, Peace, Joy and Love, may we play our part in loving one another, giving hope in tough times, joy in sorrow and making peace possible be it in our homes, peace with ourselves or peace across the land. May it be so...