"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” With those words from Isaiah (9:2) we proceed through Advent and towards the great light of the feast of the Nativity of the Incarnate Word – or, as we know it, Christmas. Around the world today there is much darkness. Turn on the news and, whatever your views on Brexit, the commentary is doom and gloom. Look further afield, and politics in the United States or on the streets of Paris is not appealing either. And in my own field of human rights and religious freedom, from Syria to Pakistan, Nigeria to Vietnam, the outlook looks bleak. Yet it is in the darkness that the lights shine most brightly, and in places of persecution, repression and conflict there are still many lights. Over the course of this year I’ve had the privilege of once again working with and walking alongside some truly extraordinary people, and seeing lights shining in the darkness. Some are people of Christian faith, but others are from different religions or none. But they all share a simple bond: a striving for humanity, dignity and freedom. I would like to recall five of them. But before describing these beacons in the darkness, I would like to name them according to their virtues, as five lights that might inspire and guide us as we continue through Advent, celebrate Christmas and embark on a new year. They are: forgiveness; courage; perseverance; justice and truth; and hope. You might argue that that amounts to six, but justice and truth go together, and indeed all the virtues are interdependent.