Dear all,
I hope this letter finds you well as we are about to start the season of Advent. Advent is a special time
for me. Despite the shorter days and longer (and colder) nights, there is something about this season
that makes us look ahead to the beautiful music and lights we associate with the season of Christmas.
Despite all the things we have collectively experienced this year, and there were a lot, Christmas does
remind us of the best we have in God’s presence. Even our personal experiences become united with
God’s presence and His peace. It was indeed a roller coaster of a year! To take one example, in
February and June we celebrated The Queen’s jubilee just to be drawn into the farewell of her life in
September. On a more personal level, the bread we bought in February for 40p is suddenly 90p!
I have wondered over the last few days, if we can celebrate Christmas this year? Can we really have
elaborate meals with all the hardship in our community? Should we indulge in expensive gifts when
so many children are having none? These are all valid questions, but it does miss the point of
Christmas. In Isaiah 2: 4 -
He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat
their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up
sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us
walk in the light of the Lord.
There is an old African hymn that rings out “We are walking in the light of God”. Having sung this
hymn in a tin church close to an informal settlement, you become aware that people can look past
the trouble, poverty and injustice of this world. Opiate of the people, according to Karl Marx? No, a
reality that God can change our circumstance, one step and one solution at a time. Think of our new
breakfast project in Elgin, I am excited that we are changing the life of one child at a time. We might
have more resources than other countries, but a hungry child in Elgin is the same as one in
Johannesburg. Someone has to walk in the light of the Lord, to change the life of that child. Do we
cancel Christmas? No, we celebrate it as we have done in the past, because we are walking in the
light of God. We continue to look at our broken world and continue to pray for swords to be changed
into ploughshares and spears to become pruning hooks. We continue to serve and to do good, not
because we are looking for “limelight”, but because we are indeed in the Light! May you and your
family have a blessed Christmas and prayerful 2023.
Can I offer by this means my heartfelt thanks to our two editors, Kathy Dale and Mary Dawson. From
our arrival in Elgin these two stalwarts have been absolutely brilliant. A lot of time and effort was put
in over the years, and we have always enjoyed a well edited and professional looking magazine. Kathy
and Mary have indicated their “retirement” at the end of this edition. To them, a big thank you! At
this point, we have not been able to get a volunteer/s to edit the magazine from February 2023. If
you have the time and think you can serve the congregation by taking on the magazine, please
contact Mary or Kathy for more information. You would also be welcome to contact me.
With the best of wishes from everyone at the Manse,
Deon