‘The river and church still set the same trusty scene’ A festive message and well wishes from Bishop John Keenan
Happy Christmas to all the readers, supporters and staff at the Paisley Daily Express.
These days I love passing by the Christmas decorations that are hanging across the River Cart and Paisley Abbey. The river has flowed alongside the abbey for over 800 years since it was erected in 1163.
I sometimes think of how the Cart and the abbey have seen so much of history coming and going in festival and battle, through times of textile growth and days of pestilence, industrial glory days and then decline and now tourist decoration.
So much has changed over those centuries, but the river and church still set the same trusty scene that so defines Paisley and Renfrewshire to this day.
Just over twice as old as the abbey is the Christmas story of the Bethlehem stable, of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus, of stars and angels, of shepherds and wisemen, of ox and ass.
It is the story of how God stooped down and entered into our history as one of us to save our world from all its troubles and offer us real hope and sure gladness.
In our years on earth, many things come and go, and Christmas and Hogmanay are a time to remember them with thanksgiving and kindness, to maybe let them go and move on.
But, like the river and the abbey, the Gospel story remains through the ages and we can trust it will always be there to comfort us as our hope and reason for real joy.
I hope this Christmas time, as you see in Christmas lights the outline of a Bethlehem scene among the reindeer and Santa, you will smile at the thought of an Emmanuel God who once came down to be with us and who will never leave us until he comes again to make all things new.
God bless you and yours in the new year ahead.