Schwerin (dpa/mv) – On Saturday, the Diakonisches Werk Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, together with the Tafel in Schwerin, gave needy and lonely people the opportunity to celebrate Christmas Eve together. “In these times of need of comfort, it is good to listen to the consolation of the Christmas message together and to sing the familiar Christmas carols,” said State Bishop Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt, who took part in the event in the Diakonie meeting center. According to a spokesman, around 30 people accepted the invitation in the afternoon. The table had previously held a festive Christmas dinner at its three locations in the state capital.

State Bishop Kühnbaum-Schmidt emphasized the value of community and solidarity, especially in difficult times like the present. “In the midst of the fears and worries that darken life, the light of Christmas shines, the love of the Christ child shines. I am very grateful for this special offer from the Diakonie on Christmas Eve – it shows us what we can do in difficult times for charity and mutual support,” said the bishop.

In the evening she wanted to preach at a Christmas service in Grabow near Ludwigslust. Many other parishes also invited to Christmas Vespers. On Sunday morning, Kühnbaum-Schmidt held the Christmas sermon in Schwerin Cathedral. In her previously published Christmas message, the regional bishop emphasizes the power of the Christian faith, which helps to live in a threatened, fragile world. The Christ Child embodies with his path of life what the world so urgently needs: “Love, peace, reconciliation, justice.”