A message from Fr. John Naughton, Christ the King, Wimbledon Park

On behalf of the RC Community of Christ the King Church, I offer warmest wishes for a Happy Christmas to the Residents of Wimbledon Park.

One of the greatest joys of my life was a visit I made to the Tomb of Abraham during a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land many years ago. There I found myself in the company of Jews, Muslims and Christians and for me it somehow came as a surprise but also as a great joy to know that there is one little spot where the followers of these three great monotheistic religions come together to pray and to remember our common ancestor, Abraham.
For me it was a sign of hope and a sign of reconciliation.  It comes to mind many times in these days of turmoil and division.

At the recent Multi-Faith Celebration  which was held in the Merton Civic Centre in the presence of the Mayor of Merton, it was noticeable and very encouraging to hear the high esteem and respect in which all people of the world and all cultures were held by the different Faiths; Baha'i ; Buddhism; Christianity; Hinduism; Islam; Judaism; Sikhism and the great desire for peace that they also shared. There seemed to me to be tremendous good will and respect.

It makes me feel sad that there does not seem to have been any great effort made to harness the good will and abhorrence of terrorism from almost every quarter around the globe. Instead, war with all its destruction of life and communities, is being employed again to "solve" the problems which face us as a human family.

As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus - at whose birth the Angels sang "peace on earth to men of good will" I pray and hope for the day when the good-will which exists among the vast majority of men and women of different cultures; nationalities; religions and races, will be the basis on which true peace is built.

This is very much my prayer as again I wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Christmas, irrespective of your religion.

           John Naughton