This week, Christians should have been enjoying Christmas – but it wasn’t a real Christmas.

Two weeks ago, Jews should have been enjoying Chanukah – but it wasn’t a real Chanukah.

Both our winter festivals are based upon ancient stories, but the religious roots are inseparable from their social expressions – families coming together, communities coming together, sitting around the table to enjoy traditional foods, and singing traditional songs that evoke fond memories.

Human beings are social creatures, so, deprived of our seasonal festivities, we feel disappointed and depressed.

Being part of a community is central to all religions, essential to our experience of God.

In the Jewish faith, certain key prayers can only be recited in the company of nine adults.

Today we are compelled to pray alone, yet it is preferable to gather together to pray with our fellows in synagogue.

True, over the past year Zoom has allowed many of us to pray, sing and gossip with our community online. But we mustn’t forget those in our communities who have no laptop, or no internet.

So please, in 2021, make an extra effort to keep in touch with isolated and lonely neighbours.

Give them a ring, knock on their door for a chat.And pray that next Chanukah and Christmas we shall be able to make up for all we have missed this.

Try to carry out the central teachings, quoted in the New Testament from its source in the Hebrew Bible: “You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself”.