Christmas 2025

Dear friends,

Grace and peace to you in the name of our newborn Saviour.

Following our Advent journey of longing and expectation, we now come to the joy of Christmas, the moment when waiting gives way to wonder, and promise becomes flesh. The One for whom we kept watch has come among us, not in splendour or earthly strength, but in simplicity and vulnerability.

At Christmas, the Incarnation we contemplated throughout Advent shines with renewed clarity. The God who meets us in our waiting now meets us in our world, sharing our humanity, bearing our burdens, and revealing a love stronger than fear. In Jesus, God’s presence is no longer distant or abstract. It is a child in a manger, a light in the darkness, a life lived fully during human struggle and hope. This season invites us to contemplate not only the mystery of Christ’s birth, but what his coming means for us as Christ’s people. If Advent called us to incarnational leadership marked by presence, humility, hope, and sacrifice, then Christmas reveals the source and centre of that calling. We lead as we live by drawing near to others as God has drawn near to us.

Christmas reminds us that God’s presence transforms ordinary places. A stable becomes the dwelling of God. In our parishes, homes, and communities, however fragile or imperfect, Christ is born anew whenever compassion is offered and welcome extended. It is a reminder that God’s humility overturns our assumptions. The child laid in a manger teaches us that God chooses the lowly and unnoticed places of the world. Our leadership is faithful when it leans toward gentleness, patience, and mercy. We are assured that God’s hope is stronger than darkness.
The light that shines in Bethlehem is not extinguished by the shadows of our time. As a diocese, we are called to bear that light: in ministries of reconciliation, in care for the vulnerable, and in witness to God’s justice and peace. In Christmas, God’s love takes flesh through us. The Incarnation continues as Christ forms us into his body. When we stand with the grieving, accompany the lonely, or work for healing in our communities, Christ is present through our hands and hearts.

My friends, as we gather at the manger this year, whether in large congregations or small, rural or urban, in quiet homes or in the bustle and hustle of the city, may we be renewed in the wonder of Emmanuel, God-with-us. And may the light of Christ guide us into the new year with courage, compassion, and joy.

A blessed and joyful Christmas to you and to all whom you love.

In the peace of Christ,

+Naboth