Everyone in society, from Cabinet ministers to rough sleepers, has faced “uncertainty, uncontrollability and unpredictability” during the Covid pandemic, the archbishop of Canterbury has said in his Christmas sermon.
Justin Welby, who led the Christmas Day service at Canterbury Cathedral, added that the past 22 months has also shown people’s capacity for compassion and generosity.
In particular, he praised those who have rescued refugees crossing the Channel to reach the UK, and volunteers who have welcomed and cared for people seeking a new life.
He told the congregation: “As a nation we have been … faced collectively as never before with our limits – our fragility, the contingency of life and our mortality. Millions have faced suffering and loss.
“We all face uncertainty, uncontrollability and unpredictability, from Sage and Cabinet to each one of us, from huge companies to those sleeping rough.
But, added: “There is no doubting our human capacity to solve problems and show great kindness. I’m sure the deputy lord lieutenant going around Kent has been inspired over the last year with what volunteers do.
“There have been the volunteers who have been on my mind, welcoming and caring for refugees arriving on the beaches so close to this cathedral. Those volunteers are extraordinary people, especially the crews of the RNLI. I saw them the other day, just getting on with it – five times as many callouts as they’ve ever had in the history of the Dover lifeboat, and they do one thing – save life at sea.
“It’s not politics, it’s simply humanity.
“And volunteers today in food banks and other places of comfort and help show this country as it should be, at its best, as we dream of it to be: a beautiful sign of compassion, of generosity, of living out that saying ‘it’s not about me’.”
The Christmas story, he said, “shows us how we must treat those who are unlike us, who have far less than us, who have lived with the devastating limits of war and national tragedy – those who risk everything to arrive on the beaches, who suffer want and poor housing, little food, endless worry, health injustice, all over this, our country”.
People had been wondering for months whether Christmas would be “saved” amid the continuing pandemic and the Omicron variant of Covid, he said. “But let’s get this straight – it’s not we who save Christmas, it’s Christmas that saves us. We cannot save ourselves. But God can – the gift of salvation is not just offered to some people, but to all,” the archbishop said.
Some churches cancelled Christmas Eve and carol services this year amid worries about Covid infections, despite there being no government restrictions on indoor gatherings.
The Church of England launched its first virtual reality carol service aimed at people unable or unwilling to attend a service in person.