From Bishop Peter Carrell
The theme ‘Light in the Darkness‘ for this magazine was set down some time ago. It is always relevant to human life. But in this first part of 2026, with a new dimension to war in the Middle East unfolding, following terrifying slaughter of protestors in Iran, ongoing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians on the West Bank, conflicts elsewhere in the world somewhat obscured by the latest headlines, a sharper relevance to this theme provokes us to prayer and reflection.
Our prayer in the midst of darkness has the confidence that we pray through the Light of the World to the God who is Light. We pray emboldened by the great promise of John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”
Our reflection on this theme must be honest. There is darkness in this world. Understandably in many situations we want to believe the best of other people, that people are inherently good and will respond with kindness to kindness. But that is not an appraisal of the human condition that takes us very far when monsters roam the world. In all too many cases, some monsters become rulers of nations with armies and weapons of destruction at their disposal. There are other forms of darkness in our world. What does it mean that light shines in the darkness of our world, whether that darkness is in the form of war or abuse, or poverty, or despair, or disease?
First, the light that shines is the light of Christ: he has come into our world, experienced its darkness, yet shone a bright light of truth, of hope, of peace and of love into our world. The light of Christ continues to shine because he overcame sin and death on the cross, and rose again to new, victorious life.
Secondly, that light shines wherever we fulfil our vocation to also be “light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). We fulfil this vocation when we live out through our lives, our words and our deeds, the truth of the Good News of Jesus Christ, being Christ-like agents of hope, peace and love in our world.
As we journey once again through Lent with Jesus to the cross, and celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the dead, we witness to the truth that “the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” May our prayer through 2026 be that the light of Christ shines everywhere through Christians, even in the darkest corners of the earth.
+Peter.