Permacrisis

I love the ‘review of the year’ programmes and articles which pop up each December. They remind us of what we’ve lived through: the major events, the celebrity gossip, the stuff that happened last January which I’ve long forgotten.

In our region, worth a mention might be the election of a new Major, Rotherham and Wednesday finishing bottom of the Championship, or the triumphant return of Tramlines festival.

This year the Collins Dictionary Word Of The Year caught my attention. It captures the tone of the nation, what we’ve all been talking about. In 2014 it was “photobomb” in 2015 “binge watch” – do you remember those more carefree days? Since then, national life seems to have taken a turn for the worse. Words of the year were “Brexit”, “Fake News”, “Climate strike”, and “lockdown.”

Word of the year 2022 is the most alarming: “permacrisis” defined as “an extended period of instability and insecurity.”

It captures the sense of unease, of shaky foundations which seems to have become our everyday experience. After living through the upheaval caused by Brexit, covid, extreme weather, a war in Ukraine, British political chaos, energy and fuel scarcity, a cost-of-living crisis, and now NHS strikes, people are left feeling like we’re in a permanent state of emergency.

Yet, some things don’t change year-by-year, and we should be grateful for that. Each December we also mark the season of Advent, which remembers the coming of Jesus Christ into our world. The baby Jesus was born in vulnerability, in a manger for a bed, who was also the saviour of humankind. It is a very upside-down message of good news and glad tidings.

The Bible heralded his coming, declaring that permacrisis was about to be permanently cured.

Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke’ 1:78-79).

There is a sense of hope, trust and peace that comes from faith in God. It is a firm foundation that survives even the hardest times.

If you feel shaken, if you feel unstable and uncertain as we leave 2022 behind, take time this Christmas to hear the words of comfort and hope that may only be found in the person and message of Jesus.

“You who seek God may you be encouraged” (Psalm 69:32).