Christmas has a remarkable way of opening conversations. A neighbour who might politely decline an invitation in June will gladly come to a carol service in December. A colleague who has never mentioned faith may ask what we are doing for Christmas. Even the person who insists they are ‘not very religious’ can be found singing ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ with surprising enthusiasm.
For a few weeks, familiar words return to public life: peace, joy, light, hope. Beneath the shopping lists, people are listening. Some are celebrating. Some are lonely. Some are carrying a grief that grows sharper when everyone else seems to be having a wonderful time.
That is why this autumn we are inviting people to Pass on Hope.
Advent means coming. It calls us to make room for the One who came to us. The Christian truth is gloriously specific: God did not send the world a seasonal sentiment. He sent his Son. C.S. Lewis called the incarnation Christianity’s ‘one grand miracle’.
The angel announced Jesus’ birth as ‘good news that will cause great joy for all the people’ (Luke 2:10 NIV). All the people includes the shepherd on the hillside, the neighbour across the fence and the person sitting quietly at the end of our pew.
Hope matters because darkness is real. The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow knew that. His wife had died in an accident, his son had been seriously wounded in the American Civil War, and the country around him was torn by violence. Out of that sorrow came his poem ‘Christmas Bells’. He confessed that peace on earth seemed impossible; then, listening to the bells, he wrote, ‘God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!’
That is a Christmas story for anyone whose heart does not match the decorations. Longfellow heard the bells while grief and war were still real. Christmas hope does not wait for perfect circumstances; it enters the circumstances we have.
And that need is close to home. Age UK tells the story of Terry, who lost Glenda, his wife of fifty-six years. Their house felt painfully empty. He could not face his first Christmas without her and spent the day alone. At times, he went five days without speaking to anyone. Then Age UK connected him with Jade, a telephone friend. Their regular calls gave him something to look forward to; gradually, Terry began to look forward to other things as well.
A phone call could not bring Glenda back but it could tell Terry that someone was there. We may never know how much an ordinary act of kindness means until we are the person waiting for it.
John’s Gospel says of Jesus, ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5 NIV). We pass on hope because the Light has come and because someone near us may need help seeing it.
Pass on Hope begins with what we can sow into another person’s life. A thoughtful message can tell someone they have been remembered. An invitation can give them a place at our table. A generous gift can ease a burden. A word of encouragement may stay with someone long after the wrapping paper has gone into the recycling bin.
We can also share a resource that helps someone take a step on their journey of faith. We have crafted books and other resources with care and creativity for precisely that purpose. Choose one with a particular person in mind. Give it warmly, perhaps with a note: ‘I thought of you when I saw this. I hope it helps you.’ Then make time for the conversation that may follow.
Jesus used the picture of a farmer scattering seed. Some seed grew and bore an astonishing harvest (Mark 4:3-8). We cannot know what every conversation, invitation or gift will become. We can sow faithfully and trust God with its growth.
There is urgency in this. We know the people around us today, and we have this Advent to love them well. A friend may be ready to speak about faith. A family member may be waiting for someone to reach out. Christmas gives us natural opportunities to begin. Let’s take them with gentleness, prayer and hope.
Who might welcome a phone call? Who could join us at a Christmas celebration? Who would appreciate a meal, an encouraging word or a resource chosen especially for them? Begin with one name. Pray for that person. Take one generous step.
The first Christmas began with a child laid in a manger and good news entrusted to ordinary shepherds. They went to see Jesus, then shared what they had heard. We can do the same in our streets, churches, workplaces and homes.
This Advent, let us sow kindness. Let us give generously. Let us speak hope into weary hearts. Let us share the good news at the heart of Christmas.
Hope has come to us in Jesus. Now let’s pass it on.
J.John
