In their Christmas Message for 2025, Bishop Martyn and Bishop Saju invite us to stop, look and really notice the people who show up in the Christmas story.
They remind us of the surprises of the Christmas story and that those who appear are not the powerful or privileged, but rather the humble, marginalized, and diverse.
And that Christmas – notably Christ – is for all of us.
We wish you a peaceful Christmas.
You can watch the video here:
The Surprises of Christmas
Bishop Martyn:
The Christmas story is full of surprises. Luke tells us that the first to hear the news were shepherds—ordinary people, working through the night (Luke 2:8-11). Matthew introduces us to Magi—foreigners who crossed borders to kneel in worship (Matthew 2:1-2). Elizabeth and Zechariah, long past hope, (Luke 1:57-66). Anna and Simeon, elderly and waiting, whisper joy in the temple (Luke 2:25-38). The list goes on: women, Gentiles, the poor, refugees fleeing Herod’s rage. Even animals crowd the scene. Christmas is not about the polished or the powerful—it’s about God turning up where we least expect.
And the greatest surprise of all? God turns up. John says, ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’ (John 1:14). God is in the neighbourhood—in the straw, in the vulnerability of a child. That changes everything. For those struggling with poverty, loneliness, or uncertainty, this is good news: God is with us. As I work in Parliament on issues like child poverty, I hold onto this truth—every child matters because every child bears the image of God. So from all of us in the Diocese of Leicester, I wish you a joyful, hope-filled Christmas. God is near. God is with you.
And now, Saju will share a poem that captures this surprise.
Bishop Saju:
Look, look who shows up at Christmas.
Not the polished. Not the powerful.
Not the ones with tickets to the palace.
Shepherds—mud on their feet, sleep in their eyes.
Watching sheep, not watching their reputations.
Look who shows up at Christmas.
Magi—foreign passports, strange accents,
reading stars like maps,
crossing borders to kneel and worship in the dust.
Look who shows up at Christmas.
Elizabeth and Zechariah—old bones,
empty cradle for decades,
now holding a miracle with trembling hands.
Anna and Simeon—temple shadows,
watching, waiting,
whispering hope into wrinkled palms.
And the list grows:
Look who shows up at Christmas.
Gentiles. Women. The poor.
Refugees running from Herod’s rage.
Ethnic strangers, religious seekers,
political nobodies, invisible widows.
Even animals crowd the scene—
donkey breath, ox eyes,
and above it all, a star—
a cosmic outsider lighting the way.
Look who shows up at Christmas.
Mary and Joseph—young, broke,
Jesus—God in skin,
cradled in straw,
“despised and rejected.”
So if you feel far off,
If you wonder where you belong—
Look who shows up at Christmas.
Look to the manger.
Look to Christ.
The door is wide.
The Word is for you.
Look, look, who shows up at Christmas.