Bishop of Salisbury releases Christmas message
Bishop Stephen Lake thanks foodbank volunteers for supporting others
The Bishop of Salisbury has shared his message for Christmas, recognising the 'challenging times' facing many people at home, and around the world.
Bishop Stephen Lake says the importance of the festive season is in knowing we're not alone.
And he's been thanking volunteers at one local charity after another busy year - paying a visit to Salisbury Foodbank, which operates eight services in South Wiltshire from Amesbury to Downton, with around 100 volunteers.
They've already provided 69,255 meals to local people so far in 2023, up from 64,818 meals in the whole of 2022.
They'll also be delivering 200 Christmas parcels of food and festive offerings to those particularly in need, in addition to its usual emergency food parcels, which contain three meals a day for three days.
Bishop Stephen said it was a 'privilege to meet those working so hard to support others'.
In his festive address to the Diocese, he also urged us all to remember the joy contained in the promise of Christmas, the birth of Jesus – that we are not alone:
“It’s a very different Christmas this year with so much of concern in our world. And it’s into that world that Jesus Christ is born, the Word made flesh, God with us. And for me, that’s what makes Christmas real and meaningful. That God came to us and shares our life.
“And in many ways, it’s just as simple as that. We celebrate these days because this greatest gift to humanity is about God coming and being part of us in our human existence. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas, that’s the real joy, that God is not far away, that God does not, not understand, God here, is with us.”