Dear Friends,
 

It happened that an old man and an old women saw a word one day, a word that looked familiar - a word they had seen many times before, an insignificant word and many others like the word that had passed them by. It wasn't a word to write home about, not a particularly well presented word, and probably not a word you would find circulated at rounds of cocktails of the high and mighty and the better travelled paths of the industrialists, the politicians, the money boys. Just a rather scruffy word wrapped up in a small, cloth parcel laying in obscurity.

As they watched a curious thing happened - a powerful thing. They knew and others with them that this was the word that they had been waiting for lo all these many years. They knew that this would fill the world with new talk - that this was the word that would make sense of all the words. They didn't know how they knew - they just knew!

The old woman rushed out to tell anyone who would listen about this word she had seen. She sang a song about how this word would change everything. The old man held the word in his tired, worn trembling hands, and also sang a song at the top of his lungs from the top of his heart.

In our world today, in our worn and tired, trembling world today who will sing and tell of this word that begs to be set free? In our world today, in our waiting world today who will dare speak of this word when the powers and principalities conspire against its nature? They didn't know how they knew - they just knew. And you don't know how you know, but you just know. In a manger, in the hay, in the dark of the night this peace was born. Peace more compassionate than hate! Peace more lasting than war! Peace deeper than division! Peace more telling of life over death! Peace on earth and good will to all!

May you discover this peace this Advent and take your place at the cradle of the world.
 

Shaun E. Fryday