The main problem with the King’s Gospel [is]…it is a gospel for our age—which is no gospel at all. Ultimately it leaves out the real Christ, and leaves us with a collection of wishes and cliches—which saves no one.

In a year when the Archbishop of Canterbury was forced to resign, and with continued decline in attendances in the Church of England and yet more scandals, I listened with interest to the titular head of that Church, King Charles, giving his Christmas message. Would he speak of the real challenges the Church and society are facing? Would he offer some kind of meaty message, rather than the saccharine sap we are so used to hearing? Would his message stimulate thought or provide hope to those who are in great need of it?

Sadly the message was largely the same moralistic, do it yourself, multifaith religion—with rightful tributes being paid to servicemen and women, volunteers and doctors and nurses. As the head of the Church of England you might have expected the King to offer a little bit more specifically Christian comment, but this was basic humanist doctrine, tinged with a splash of religiosity which I suspect would satisfy no one who actually listened to what was being said.

To be fair, King Charles is nothing if not consistent. His Christmas message this year was similar to the one I commented on two years ago and his Thought for the Day delivered at Christmas 2016.

However there were some differences. This was only the third time in 100 years that the talk was not recorded in a royal residence. The fact that it took place in a former hospital chapel was particularly poignant given the King’s own cancer issues, and that of his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales.

War as Sacrifice

He was surely right to reflect on the 80th anniversary of D-Day—but I am always a little uneasy at the simplistic view of war which is so often espoused on these occasions. I’m sure there were many soldiers, sailors and airmen who did ‘give of themselves so courageously’ and who do serve as ‘an example of service and selflessness’. But not all. Servicemen and women did not have a choice. They were conscripted. Implying that these men and women were volunteers who sacrificed themselves for our greater good is not quite the whole truth. Many would have felt as though they were the sacrifice.

Another difficulty within the speech was how out of touch it was in some areas. Not least when he stated that “During previous commemorations we were able to console ourselves with the thought that these tragic events seldom happen in the modern era.

“But, on this Christmas Day, we cannot help but think of those for whom the devastating effects of conflict—in the Middle East, in Central Europe, in Africa and elsewhere—pose a daily threat to so many people’s lives and livelihoods.”

The problem with this is that during previous commemorations there were wars and violence in many parts of the world. It is true that there was no World War 3, nor a major war in Europe involving the great powers until the Russia/Ukraine war—but conflict has been, and continues to be, part of human existence.

The Gospel According to the King

But how are we to overcome that conflict? The King suddenly brought in the Gospel—but it was a very different Gospel to the one Jesus taught. Take for example this statement: “We also think of the humanitarian organisations working tirelessly to bring vital relief. After all, the Gospels speak so vividly of conflict and teach the values with which we can overcome it.”

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