Advent 2009

December 1 - Tuesday of the first week in Advent

Today's thought

Speaking with Andrew Denton recently on ABC 1, actor Alan Alda revealed that he would really love to understand how and when human beings might begin living together in peace.

A week previous to his comments the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, stood next to French president, Nicolas Sarkozi, at the Remembrance Day ceremonies below the Arc de Triomphe.  She was the first German leader to attend such a ceremony in Paris itself.

The fragile miracle of contemporary Europe is that former enemies are hopefully entering a beyond-war era.

Scripture  

The wolf lives with the lamb, the panther lies down with the kid, calf and lion feed together with a little boy to lead them. The cow and the bear make friends, their young lie down together. The lion eats straw with the ox. The infant plays over the cobra’s hole; into the viper’s lair the young child puts his hand. They do not hurt, no harm, on all my holy mountain, for the country is filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters swell the sea.

- Isaiah 11:6-9

Prayer

God of the human heart, restore humanity to the image of Christ so that in him we may know in our lifetime the peace that only he can give, a peace that lasts, a peace built on justice for all. We ask you this through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Poetry extract 

Maybe there was once a word for it. Call it grace.
I have seen it, once or twice, through a human face.

- From “Grace” by Judith Wright

Today is world AIDS day