A Tale of Three Cities

Dave Gobbett | 21:11, 23 November 2019

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, ... it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.

So began A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens which hit the press 160 years ago this autumn. It takes us back to life in London & Paris during an age of extremes - personal hopes alongside national despair, the dreams of a bright future alongside the fears of current failure - with very little common ground in the middle.

Life does seem more divided - and more extreme - than ever before, doesn't it? The fault lines between the rich and the poor, the left and the right, leave and remain, you and me, seem to run so deep.

The first Christmas takes us back to a third city - Royal David's City, in the words of the carol - as we remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Into a 'winter of despair', there was born a 'spring of hope'. Into a world in darkness, the brightest of lights was about to shine.

The wonderful news of Christmas is that the world's most extreme divide - our wilful separation from the God who made us all - has been bridged. He came down to earth from heaven, who is God and Lord of all we sing. And the purpose of Jesus coming down to us, was to make a way to take us to Him. Little wonder Christians want to spread a passion for Jesus.

We'd love to welcome you to one of our Carol services at Christmas.

Dave Gobbett Highfields Church Lead Pastor