People now 'fearful' of each other, says archbishop

The Archbishop of York has said people have become "fearful" of each other and "especially fearful of strangers".

The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell made the comments during his Christmas Day sermon at York Minster.

He used the example of a trip to Israel earlier this year to visit the Holy Land, claiming to have been "intimidated" by Israeli militias.

"We don't seem to be able to see ourselves in them [strangers], and therefore we spurn our common humanity," he said.

The Church of England archbishop said he was stopped at checkpoints and that militias told him he could not visit Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank.

"We have become fearful of each other, and especially fearful of strangers, or just people who aren't quite like us," he told the congregation.

The sermon echoed themes of The King's Christmas message, which spoke of "getting to know our neighbours" and "by showing respect to one another, creating new friendships".

The archbishop described how YMCA charity representatives in Bethlehem, who work with "persecuted Palestinian communities" in the West Bank, gave him an olive wood nativity scene carving.

The piece showed a "large grey wall" blocking the three kings from getting to the stable to see Mary, Joseph and Jesus.

The Primate of England added: "It was sobering for me to see this wall for real on my visit to the Holy Land, and we were stopped at various checkpoints and intimidated by Israeli militias who told us that we couldn't visit Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank.

"But this Christmas morning here in York, as well as thinking about the walls that divide and separate the Holy Land, I'm also thinking of all the walls and barriers we erect across the whole of the world and, perhaps most alarming, the ones we build around ourselves, the ones we construct in our hearts and minds, and of how our fearful shielding of ourselves from strangers - the strangers we encounter in the homeless on our streets, refugees seeking asylum, young people starved of opportunity and growing up without hope for the future - means that we are in danger of failing to welcome Christ when he comes."

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