Message from Tim

Good news of great joy for all people…

The development and approval of a vaccine for coronavirus is good news indeed: it is a cause for celebration and a source of hope after many months of isolating restrictions and hardship. And any of us who may have had misgivings about the speed with which it was approved by the UK regulatory authorities will have been reassured to see that it has also been approved for use in Canada – two witnesses are certainly better than one. Many of you, I know, are eager to receive it as soon as it becomes available. Even though you can’t have it yet, the news that it is on its way makes a big difference. I can’t think of anything else in recent memory that is the fulfilment of so many people’s hopes. (Brexit doesn’t quite come into the same category, unfortunately…)

In his prophecy about the birth of Jesus, Isaiah says, ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned’ (Isaiah 9:2). Many of us have felt as if we have been walking in the shadow of death, and it feels as if a light is dawning on the horizon at last. Zechariah, rejoicing over the birth of John the Baptist, spoke of God’s tender mercy as if it were the breaking of a heavenly dawn, bringing light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, guiding our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-79). Even though Jesus has not even been born yet, such is his sense of expectation that Zechariah feels as if God has already visited and redeemed his people (1:68). The future is impacting on his present in a positive way – just as the coming Kingdom of God makes its presence felt in transforming our lives here and now.

As the good news of a vaccine gives us a sense of anticipation and excitement, we can perhaps catch a glimpse of how it must have felt for Simeon and others longing for the consolation of Israel (2:25) when they heard that the long-awaited Messiah had been born, one who would deliver everyone, not just from one specific virus, but from death itself. So this year, let’s engage in some deliberate cross-contamination and allow our sense of relief at the prospect of deliverance from COVID-19 to infect our celebrations of the birth of our Redeemer. His coming into the world is really good news – of great joy – for everyone.