'A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices!'

There is a spine-tingling line in the Christmas hymn, O Holy Night: “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices!”

A weary world

Our world is unmistakably weary. More than three-quarters of Brits say the UK is headed in the wrong direction. For the first time, the UK has dropped out of the top 20 happiest countries in the World Happiness Report.

The Economist warns us of a “great relationship recession” – deepening loneliness, thinning friendships, fewer people forming stable partnerships, and couples choosing not to have children because of their fears for the future.