It’s December! This means we’ve entered a time in the calendar called Advent. Advent is the season leading up to Christmas Day! It’s a time of waiting, preparing, and thinking about the good news that Jesus was born.

Each week during Advent, we’re going to explore how the Christmas story brings hope – not just in the happy moments, but also in the tough ones. As we look again at Jesus’ birth and listen to real stories from people today, we can see that the same hope that shone at the first Christmas is still alive in our world now.

Why do you think people talk about hope at Christmas?

This week, we’re focusing on people who have been displaced – those who have had to leave their homes and find safety somewhere new.

Soon after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph had to leave Bethlehem and escape to Egypt. King Herod was threatened by the news of Jesus’ birth and planned to hurt him. So, in the middle of the night, the family fled. Jesus, still a tiny child, became a refugee, living in a place that was not His home.

Today, millions of people around the world need to their homes to find safety somewhere new. At the end of June 2025, the UNHCR reported that around 117 million people had been forced to leave their homes because of conflict, violence, persecution, or danger. God cares deeply for each of them. He understands their pain, because He, too, experienced it. Jesus’ early life shows us that God truly understands what it means to be scared, to be displaced, and to feel far from home.

At SMRT, we have students and staff who have faced displacement and found sanctuary or a fresh start in Bristol. We sat and listened to some of their stories, and we were reminded again of how hope can grow even in difficult circumstances.

After reading their stories, discuss with the people around you what stood out to you and how their experiences inspired you.

Staff Member:

I am from the South of Ukraine, a very beautiful town nearby the sea. It was awful when everything was ruined in one day. People were afraid to go out as the sound of explosions was everywhere. I remembered the stories of my grandparents from the Second World War, when they didn’t have enough food or places to hide. For me, the first thought was ‘what will we do if we experience the same?’ I took my cat and one small bag and went to stay with my children who were living in Poland.

When the Homes for Ukraine programme in the UK opened, we decided we had to try.  It was quite scary because it was my first experience to live in someone else’s house and to know that it might be years and years. The first family that met us here, said ‘we are glad to have you in our home.’ The members of family supported us and gave us hope that they will be with us through all the difficult time. Everything they could do for us; they did for us. To know that there was someone who can help anytime when you need it, is very important.

Their kindness for me was sometimes not even words, but just their facial expressions that said, ‘I am ready to help you, don’t be afraid – ask me.’ Kindness is when a person is open anytime for you and you will be accepted even when you are frustrated, afraid and uncertain.

I can be hopeful because we are not alone. We have a lot of people in many countries who support us and help to make a day when there will be peace in my country. The main thing is that we’re not alone - this gives us hope that we can be able to go through this.

Student:

When I arrived at SMRT, nobody knew me, and it was difficult to make friends because everyone in my year had already formed their groups in Year 7. It felt like I had to start all over again, just like how I had built my friendships back home.

Patience has helped me through difficult moments because I know that, in time, things will improve and become more settled for me and my family. That thought keeps me going, as focusing on what lies ahead helps me get through the challenges I face.

Use these questions to help your conversations:

1. How do you think hope can change the way we see the challenges we face?
2. In what ways can you support others and show kindness to the people around you?
3. How can being patient help us get through tough or difficult times?

Let’s pray:

Lord,
Thank You for coming into our world as Jesus, bringing hope and light even in the darkest times.
We pray for all those who have had to leave their homes and find safety somewhere new.
Be with them, protect them, and bring comfort to their hearts.

Help us to show kindness and welcome others with open hands and open hearts,
so that we may reflect Your love to everyone around us.

Give us patience when things feel hard, courage when we are afraid,
and hope that reminds us You are always with us.

This Advent, may we remember that hope shines even in the most difficult moments,
and may we share that hope with the world.

Amen.