COLUMN: Just A Thought

A column from Chichester Diocese which covers Sussex. This week it is by Fiona Windsor, Archdeacon of Horsham

We see it in countless films from Bond to Disney: a hero to the rescue.

This theme comes up in stories all the time and yet our appetite for good triumphing over evil is never satisfied.

Take Spectre, the 24th James Bond film, which has broken box office records nearly everywhere.

We all know how it will end, but we still can’t wait to see how the good guys will win.

Right now, the Church is moving into a time called Advent, which is about looking forward to the arrival of our rescuer – Jesus.

And it’s no wonder that we need a rescuer with the problems facing humanity. For example, in the UK there are about 3.7 million children living in poverty, that’s equivalent to 9 children out of a class of 30.

So perhaps, as we focus on the festive preparations, it might be helpful to remember why we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

If we can find an opportunity, even for a moment, to remember that God had a rescue plan, maybe this will give us new hope and peace as we look towards a new year.

His final rescue might not seem obvious now, but the Christmas story tells us that the rescuer has come.