大象传媒

The message of peace听
Presenter: Mark Coffey听

Isaiah 52:7-10

How beautiful upon the mountains听are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news,听who announces salvation,听who says to Zion, 鈥榊our God reigns.鈥� Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,听together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see听the return of the Lord to Zion.听Break forth together into singing,听you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people,听he has redeemed Jerusalem.听The Lord has bared his holy arm听before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

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Many big churches and cathedrals will be well into the carol service season.听 Each organisation, it seems, likes its own service with all the traditional music.听 I know I have a mental shortlist of carols that have to be included if it鈥檚 to be a proper carol service.听 It鈥檚 easy to let carols wash over us and lull us into a false sense that everything is all right in the world and that we are allowed to shut out wars and conflicts for one day at least.听 Christmas peace then becomes a fantasy.听 I guess that was in the mind of the person who couldn鈥檛 bear to hear 鈥淥 little town of Bethlehem鈥� sung in church.听 鈥淗ow still we see thee lie鈥� was just not true.听 The challenge of Advent is that despite all that, the news is good.听 The message of healing is announced and so singing of peace does not have to be hypocritical, but a hopeful longing within the ruins of a warring world that there is a messenger who announces true peace.