This morning in the town where I live a man went into Macdonalds, placed a package on the counter, said "Happy Christmas" and left. This was followed by police evacuating the town centre, and a wide area round it for several hours, and the bomb disposal squad arriving and there being a controlled explosion of the package. It was a hoax but it was taken very seriously in the current climate. I know people who are frightened to go into big cities at the moment, but actually this sort of thing can happen anywhere. One tweet I read said "ISIS on the sea front" - it wasn't ISIS but you do wonder what made the man, who was later arrested on the sea front do what he did. I would love to have a conversation with him.
Alongside this I have heard the nativity story for the second day in a row shared by 90 children in our Methodist primary school and then tonight I have shared in a bit of heaven on earth as our choir gave us a lovely evening of carols and readings and reflections, apart from one item - the minister murdering the Christmas Song. But in those two events the contrast between words of peace, togetherness, goodwill and hope and the events of today in town hit me hard. As one song in the school nativity said we hear this tale every year and it never goes stale. The sad thing is we need its message every year more and more.
How do we cope with a world of bomb hoaxs, of bombs, of terrorism, of floods and tragedy, of Donald Trump's lead in the republican party having grown since he said those awful things?
I do see you know hope, I see hope in people coming together in small groups to make a difference. In Hastings today people helped one another as there was uncertainty for a while; the rising up in the main against views that are simply dangerous is happening; communities in Cumbria have come together to help people who have lost everything. Have a look at Sandylands Methodist Church website or Facebook page. We are also seeing people come together to reflect on our forces being sent to bomb in Syria. We are seeing that discrimination of the other is wrong. We are I think seeing a more tolerant, cohesive community. I can't change the world but I can change my bit of it by my attitude, by my standing up for injustice, by my being there for others in pain. The other bit of the incarnation narrative that speaks to me tonight is how often angels say "Fear not"! Perhaps angels are in our community especially at times of crisis.
What is the Christian call in a world of fear? Well, the comedian Milton Jones sums it up for me in his little book of 10 second sermons: "Christianity is not so much a religion, more the beginning of a realisation of how things really are."
So Mr Bomb Hoaxer causing chaos in my town today. So Mr Donald Trump. So Mr Politician who thinks war still is the answer. As Private Eye puts the campaign so well we are "pissing in the dark." So bad news, depression and anxiety and crazy world all this means you will not have the last word.
If enough of us believe that and act on that, what a difference we could make.
And for a laugh, I love this link from the Archdruid Eileen today - - enjoy:
http://cyber-coenobites.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-liturgy-of-fairytale-of-new-york.html
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