Dear Friends,

This nineteenth-century painting by William Holman Hunt, which now hangs in St Paul’s Cathedral, captures the narrative of these familiar verses from John’s gospel and from The Book of Revelation also thought to have been authored by John.

In this very popular painting, Jesus, crowned with thorns, stands outside a door and knocks asking for permission to enter. The door can’t be opened from the outside because it has no handle on it. The rusty nails and hinges are overgrown with ivy and weeds, presumably because the door hasn’t been opened in years or perhaps it has never been opened.

For Holman Hunt, the sealed door represents the human heart choked by cares, which prevent the heart from opening and the door symbolizes the shut mind.

There are two sources of light. The one inside the lantern symbolizes the light of conscience, the halo around Jesus’ head symbolises the light of peace and hope of salvation.

Jesus standing as priest, prophet, and king, is the sole figure in this painting and yet the focus of attention lies outside the picture as he looks towards us and draws us in.

Behind the door stands everyman, everywoman, you, me, hidden from sight. What might this individual feel, think, desire, fear as he or she decides on a response?

How to respond to the knock, if at all? What to do, if anything?

The door is a powerful image as we enter Advent and travel towards Christmas Day and a New Year.

In the darkest of months and what can feel like the darkest of times we are invited to open the door of our hearts and nurture that tiny Christ light kindled 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, Palestine.

Advent and Christmastide invite us to reconsider what do we most deeply desire, for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our world.

Should we, could we ignore the knock?
Should we, could we call out: ‘Go away?’
‘Not now, later?’

Opening the metaphorical door in the painting means exposing ourselves to the light of Christ that may reveal both joys and sadnesses.

This winter I invite you to open our church door and enter in to see what might be revealed to you within our ancient walls and in the services that are put together to guide and support you.

Our church door is there to be pushed open; we hope you find a welcome. Whether you come every week or have never been before we are here for you at a time of year that can feel both overwhelming and isolating.

No need for false jollity, no need for endless shopping, we offer a space to pause and reflect, to just be.

Last month I had the privilege of a time of retreat which allowed me to ‘just be’, it reminded me of simple pleasures, and gave me the opportunity to read more about the mystics, my reading gave me a threefold mantra:

• Pay attention
• Be astonished
• Share your astonishment

We will strive at St Peter and St Paul to help you to pay attention to your spiritual wellbeing at a time when the focus of the world is on keeping that door closed to you, to be astonished by the word of God, by the people and God, by all of creation and to share your wonder at a 2000 year old story that still holds our imagination and which continues to speak of the promise of hope and light even in the darkest of days.