Trust is a precious thing, easily lost and difficult to regain. A survey taken around the time of the last Federal election found that the Australian public’s trust in politicians and the political system is at its lowest in over 20 years. Trust in many institutions, including the Church, has also taken a battering over recent years, and quite rightly. The paradox is that for society, or indeed for any relationships to function well, we need to be able to trust others, and for that we need individuals and institutions who have proved themselves worthy of our trust.

At Christmas, God proved himself worthy of our trust. Having put the world on notice that he was going to pay us a visit, he told us where. “But you, O Bethlehem, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from old” (Micah 5:2). He told us how. “The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’)” (Isaiah 7:14). And when he arrived, it was precisely where and how he said. At Christmas, God revealed himself to be someone who does what he says. We always know where we stand with him.

If we want to live as if we are the only person in the world, this probably doesn’t matter. But most of us want to live in meaningful relationships with others. And those are built on trust. Trust means that I know I am safe with you. Trust means I can be confident that you have my back, which, in turn, sets me free to face challenges and take risks. We need people in our lives that we can trust absolutely and they can be hard to find. But at Christmas, God showed himself to be just such a person. Doesn't that make him worth getting to know?

On behalf of everyone at Young District Anglican Ministry, I wish you a very safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

Neil Percival