91Èȱ¬

From Reverend Sharon Grenham-Thompson, Anglican Priest and Prison Chaplain:

In the time honoured Christmas tradition, I’ve brought you a pair of socks. Socks feature in an altered version of one of the great Christmas carols - While Shepherds Washed their Socks by Night. Now these were obviously very wise shepherds, because not only did they wash their smalls, but according to the version I know, they also switched to 91Èȱ¬ - so I think this is the ultimate Christmas carol for your show!

In the proper version, the shepherds were watching their flocks of sheep, when an angel appeared in the sky to announce the birth of Jesus. The very first words of the angel to the terrified shepherds were ‘fear not’ - fear not, said he, for mighty dread had seized their troubled minds. And then the angels began to sing.

The terrible events in Paris last month, the attack in California this week, news stories of fugitives and guns and hatred - it’s enough to make all of us afraid. Our world feels very troubled, and mighty dread is one way we might react.

But remember the words of the angel. Fear not.

On Monday night one of my favourite bands of all time performed in Paris - U2, whose November concerts had been postponed because of the shootings. At the end of the evening they were joined on stage by the members of Eagles of Death Metal, whose gig at the Bataclan theatre had been the scene of 90 murders. They sang a Patti Smith song with the words  ‘the people have the power to redeem the work of fools’. Afterwards Jesse Hughes, the singer of Eagles said ‘love, joy and music will always overcome terror and evil. ‘

The angels sang, and told those shepherds not to fear, because love was coming down at Christmas to conquer darkness and hate. It’s a promise that still holds good today: we do have the power to make this world a place of love and joy, and music. I’m going to remind myself of this every morning when I put my socks on, with these four simple words - I am not afraid.