Seasonal Greetings from... the Dean

Thursday 24 December 2020

From Shawshank to Jersey... The Dean's Christmas message this year spans the continents, but returns to the same light at the end of the tunnel we are all hoping for.

In today's Seasonal Greeting, the head of the Church of England in Jersey, the Dean, the Very Reverend Mike Keirle, looks at the importance of hope in the festive season, and whether Christmas is more than just a light in the bay...

"I hope...

One of my favourite films is Shawshank Redemption, which is essentially a film about hope in the face of despair. The main character, played by Tim Robbins, is Andy Dufresne, who is sent to prison for life for murdering his wife, a crime he did not commit.

Hope is what distinguishes him from his fellow inmates. It is the thing that keeps him focused and prevents him from lapsing into depression and pity – that and a large poster of Rita Hayworth!

WATCH: One of the Dean's favourite films is the Shawshank Redemption.

Andy’s best friend is a prisoner who has already served 20 years of a life sentence before Andy arrived. His name is Red, played by Morgan Freeman (note the irony of his name!), who has lost all hope and is deeply institutionalised in the prison system.

After Andy has spent a month in solitary confinement for playing music to the inmates through the prison PA system, Red becomes angry with him for giving hope to the other prisoners through the power of music, when the reality, as he sees it, is that hope is a distant dream, detached from the reality they face, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It almost breaks their friendship.

So what do Shawshank Redemption and Christmas have in common? Well, if you know your Christmas carols, you will know that one of them, O little town of Bethlehem, has the line: “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."

Pictured: The Very Reverend Mike Keirle has been Dean of Jersey since 2017.

It is a profound statement about hope being realised in the person of Jesus – that this child, born in poverty in the middle of nowhere and visited by nobodies – is THE pivotal point in history. This baby, who grew up to be a man, is THE light at the end of the tunnel and hope is not some distant, far off dream but earthed in this extraordinary human being.

Every morning at 6.15am I walk my dog along the front at Victoria Avenue and then cross over into West Park and do a circuit. In the summer months, it is glorious as I look over St. Aubin’s Bay but, in the winter, it is cold, rainy, windy and dark. As you look out to sea, the only thing visible is the Christmas tree atop Elizabeth Castle, lit up in the dark. It actually looks like it is hovering in the sky because the castle itself is in darkness. It is only as dawn appears that you can see it is earthed on rock, connected and substantial.

Pictured: "The truth they wanted to convey was that God did not remain aloof from the world, floating somewhere out there, detached from earth. Instead, he came down to earth - connected, touchable and tangible, real!"

When Jesus was born at the first Christmas, the Biblical writers who recorded his life said that he was given the name: Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’ and they described his arrival like this: ‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light’. The truth they wanted to convey was that God did not remain aloof from the world, floating somewhere out there, detached from earth. Instead, he came down to earth - connected, touchable and tangible, real!

The popular image people have of Jesus is him having blond hair, a perfect beard, neatly trimmed, wearing a white robe and sandals with clean feet and manicured nails; deep blue eyes reflecting the slight glow from his halo.

But this slightly Victorian image removes him from every day life. The reality is that Jesus spent time with the ignored of society, untouchables and those who had terrible mental health issues. He mixed with disreputable people, with prostitutes and “sinners” (yes, and even tax collectors!). He said things like: It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. He washed people’s feet, made people well and gave hope to those in darkness.

And when he spoke, he talked of the extravagant love of God. He shared parables of sons running off and spending all their inheritance and then returning home to find a lavish welcome back from the father – mirroring the forgiveness of God. He pardoned those who betrayed him, denied him and mocked him and, even when humanity threw its worst at him, that love continued as he forgave the very people who crucified him. Love and hope rooted in reality.

Pictured: "This baby, who grew up to be a man, is THE light at the end of the tunnel and hope is not some distant, far off dream but earthed in this extraordinary human being."

Well, here we are in the darkness and captivity of a pandemic, with mental health issues, anxiety and fear brimming over in our communities. Is this Christmas stuff, just a light out in the bay, that gets plugged in once a year but which seems detached from real life? Or is it the ultimate reality, of God with us, giving hope and light at the end of the tunnel, proclaiming that nothing will separate us from the love of God.

The story of Shawshank ends with Andy never letting go of his hope. After 19 years, he escapes – there really is light at the end of the tunnel. A little later Red is released on parole and he goes in search of his friend and the film ends with Red saying: I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope...

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace this Christmas."

READ MORE...

Seasonal Greetings from... the Bailiff

Seasonal Greetings from... the Lieutenant Governor

Seasonal Greetings from... Jersey's Jewish Community