A New Year message from church leaders

One of the major themes of the Christmas season is the message of the coming of Light into the darkness of our world. As John says in his Gospel, speaking of the Lord Jesus, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).

Yet some 2,019 years later, there is still much darkness in this world. We see pictures in newspapers and on television that speak of suffering and despair in different countries and regions, and even here on the island of Ireland, both north and south, many live their lives with a lack of security and an absence of hope.