The power of God can chase away “the fear of terror” and “the economies of despair”, the Archbishop of Canterbury will say in his Christmas sermon.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby will speak about finding God in a world which “feels more awash with fear”.
His sentiment was echoed by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Britain’s most senior Catholic, at his midnight Mass.
In his homily at Westminster Cathedral he said there was “much anxiety about the state of the world”.
The Archbishop of Westminster also took time to mention relatives of the elderly, whom he said were “frightened that resources to meet the basic needs of their loved ones are being withdrawn as care services are reviewed and reduced”.
Archbishop Welby will deliver his sermon during a Eucharist service at Canterbury Cathedral at 11:00 GMT on Christmas Day.
‘Glory of God’ In the sermon, he will tell the congregation that the end of 2016 “finds us all in a different kind of world, one less predictable and certain, which feels more awash with fear and division”.
“Uncertainty in the midst of much, but far from universal, prosperity is a sign of our trust being in the wrong things,” he will say.
“It tells us that our values are in the wrong place… Economic progress, technological progress, communication progress hasn’t resulted in economic justice. It hasn’t delivered glory for us.”
The Archbishop is expected to draw on his personal experiences of meeting “persecuted believers” whom, he says, have “seen the glory of God, a glory that chases away the fear of terror”.
He will add: “How then do we find glory? The only place and person who can bring glory to us is the child of Bethlehem who became the victim on the cross.”
In a similar vein, Cardinal Nichols spoke at midnight Mass of a “deep and widening sense of uncertainty” felt by many people.
“Yes, we are anxious of the current instability in economic prospects and in the effectiveness of political structures,” he said.
“But here we come to a deeper centre, to Bethlehem, to Him who shows us the foundations on which we must build, the priorities we must seek.”
He urged Catholics to show compassion to “the homeless, the refugee, the victim of violence and human trafficking”, and in particular, older people, who were too often left alone without human contact.
“Meeting this challenge requires a recognition that good care for the elderly and vulnerable is not only important but nothing less than a defining characteristic of our society,” he added.
The Church of England’s second most senior figure, Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu, also urged those worried about Brexit and the US presidential election to look to God.
Writing for the Yorkshire Post, he said: “In the midst of uncertainty and personal danger, I can testify to the fact that God will never leave us or forsake us. God will always show us a way.”
Meanwhile, Moderator of the Church of Scotland the Right Reverend Dr Russell Barr discussed the contrasts of Christmas, and how the promise of Christmas cheer was juxtaposed with “unspeakable human suffering in war town Aleppo or Yemen or South Sudan”.
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