Children told not to sing ‘Lord’ in carol
19 Dec 2019
The headteacher of a London primary school ruled that children should sing ‘baby boy Jesus’, not ‘little Lord Jesus’ in the carol Away in a manger (so that pupils of all beliefs could join in). Children also sang edited versions of modern hymns at a carol service and nativity at a nearby church. Margarita, whose children attend the school, said: ‘As a family we go to church, pray together, and celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus the Son of God. If he was just a baby boy named Jesus, there wouldn't be a celebration in the first place. He is our Lord and Saviour and King of all Kings - that's the whole point.’
Many at risk of flu this Christmas
19 Dec 2019
The flu season has started early this year. Doctors are predicting a rise in cases, with hundreds of thousands possibly having Christmas ruined by flu. GP consultations for flu-like illness were up by a quarter to 7,500 visits in the week ending 8 December. Grandparents visiting grandchildren could be particularly at risk. Children are ‘super-spreaders’ of flu, and the elderly can develop complications if they catch it. While more over-65s are having a free flu jab this year, coverage among two- to three-year-olds is lagging behind previous seasons, following delivery delays of nasal flu vaccine. These have now been resolved, but some school flu programmes will not begin until January. Experts are urging anyone who has not yet had their vaccination to do so.
280,000 homeless in England this Christmas
19 Dec 2019
Shelter revealed that 135,000 children are homeless in Britain, one in 200 people in England are without a settled home, and 280,000 people are recorded as homeless. However, the charity pointed out that these statistics could be the tip of the iceberg, with hidden homelessness and rough sleeping difficult to document accurately. The scale of the challenge that Boris Johnson’s new government must face is daunting. Pray for government action to address the lack of social homes. A spokesman for the ministry of housing said, ‘Everyone should have somewhere safe to live, and councils have a duty to provide accommodation to those who need it, including families with children’. There are 1,450 Big Issue sellers working on the streets each week. Homelessness blights lives, leaving lasting imprints of trauma, and many are only days away from becoming homeless.
Northern Ireland: strike and Stormont
19 Dec 2019
On 19 December, 15,500 NI nurses began a twelve-hour strike over pay and staff numbers. The NI secretary, Julian Smith, believes the action illustrates why it is important that power-sharing is restored. He is leading political talks which he hopes will lead to a restored ministerial executive early next year. When devolved government was operating, decisions on health sector needs were taken by individual ministers from different parties. But for almost three years, the parties have been absent from Stormont following the collapse of devolution, and it has been left to civil servants, without power to make or overturn decisions, to hold the fort on health. Hours before the strike, party leaders urged Mr Smith to order civil servants to release the money health unions were asking for. It was too little, too late.
Modern slavery: prayer and praise
19 Dec 2019
Pray that the new UK government will prioritise efforts to eradicate modern slavery, both in the UK and around the world. Pray that the departments with responsibilities to tackle slavery will be strengthened, and their efforts focused on achieving sustainable change by protecting those who are vulnerable to abuse, and ending impunity. Also let us praise God for the rescue of 24 modern slavery victims in Southwark this week. The 19 adults and five children rescued by police from five different nail bars in London are thought to have been trafficked from Vietnam. They are now being supported by specially-trained officers, and receiving medical care. Pray that God gives them a hope and a blessed future.
Illegal construction is rife in Albania: many buildings lack permits and don’t adhere to safety codes. The earthquake on 26 November killed 51 people, injured 900, and left 5,000 homeless. Nine people were suspected for homicide and abuse of power. Seventeen builders, engineers and officials are suspected of breaching building regulations, causing the collapse of buildings during the 6.4-magnitude quake. Eight of the suspects are still being sought by police. Preliminary investigations have established that irregularities had been the cause of buildings collapsing. Albania lies near a tectonic fault line; pray that the vulnerability of the land will be a major consideration when further construction work commences. Pray for a strict review of building regulations, and for the homeless to be rehoused in appropriate accommodation speedily and to be fairly compensated.
Italy’s gospel radio
19 Dec 2019
European Gospel Radio (EGR) is a non-denominational Christian radio touching any country in the world 24/7 on shortwave, streaming and satellite. It is a non-profit organisation, staffed by volunteers and professional broadcasters based in Milan. Since 1988 Christian broadcasters from around the world have trusted EGR to provide a radio link between their radio programmes and listeners globally. They cover Europe, Africa, Asia/Pacific, and the Middle East with daily Bible programmes, Christian news, and information both in English and in regional languages. There are still many places globally and millions of displaced people out of reach of modern communication - FM, AM, TV, satellite, Internet - and even without electricity. However, shortwave radio reaches anywhere.
Christmas celebrations worldwide
19 Dec 2019
At the Philippines’ giant lantern festival on the Saturday before Christmas Eve, villages have a competition to build the most elaborate lantern. In secular Japan, Christmas dinner consists of a feast of Kentucky Fried Chicken with their special festive menu. Saint Nikolaus travels by donkey on the night of 6 December, leaving little treats in the shoes of good children all over Germany, particularly in the Bavarian region. Australians have barbeques, and Santa swaps his reindeer for white ‘boomers’ (kangaroos). Armenians fast the week before Christmas, and break their fast with a special meal (khetum). Canadian children have an actual postcode to send letters to the North Pole, and thousands of volunteers help Canada Post to respond to the letters received, even in Braille. Since 1979, a nine-metre menorah has been raised on the White House grounds for the eight days and nights of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.