Sadly thefts from churches are all too common in the lead up to Christmas as it is known they collect donated presents for children.

Many people would have enjoyed a wonderful occasion on Tuesday surrounded by love and presents, but not everyone is that lucky.

The person who broke into the church to steal a bike must have been desperate.

But they were also inconsiderate and cruel to target an organisation like the church which had the bikes specifically to help people, just like the thief, who are in need.

Comments like “sad” and “disgraceful” have been made on The Border Mail’s Facebook page and we couldn’t concur more.

But the response from those at the Uniting Church was incredibly generous.

Property manager Col Fitzmaurice showed a great example of kindness when he said that although the thief went too far, the church would be there for support.

“If they do need assistance, that is what we're here for as a church – we’re here to help them as well,” he said.

It can be easy to remain selfish when stressed at Christmas, but  can’t be right to provide for one person in need by stealing presents intended for someone else who could possibly be in an even worse situation.

Now the big day is over and we no have to stress about planning a perfect occasion, it is time to take a breath.

The generosity at Christmas time is wonderful, as we know there are people who are struggling, but the issues are there all year round.

We are grateful to those organisations that work hard to provide assistance to people who may be homeless or financially disadvantaged.

But at the same time, no matter who you are or what struggles you are facing, it is important to be considerate of others.

Stealing from a church was too far, at any time, but especially at this time of year.