Advent: Trust in God and each other

Trust is in relatively short supply these days. As we arrive at the fourth and final Sunday of Advent, we look at the extraordinary bonds of trust we see in the Nativity story. Joseph trusted Mary, Mary trusted God - both turned away from the judgements of society. Canon Christopher Thomas: "From the beginning, God has been as good as His word. The Word made flesh caught us by surprise but it was always in God's mind to do this - to become part of his creation, to become one of us. "God is asking us to renew our trust in each other and to build a world in which not just individuals but whole nations display a genuine care and concern for each other... "We are also asked to trust in something much more sure and certain than a vague hope in human kindness. God is asking us to trust Him. The one who makes eternal covenants - the one whose word is the guarantee behind every human word uttered in love."