大象传媒

Good morning.

听

85 years ago today the Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, better known to the world as Herg茅, published the first of his many adventures of Tintin. The young comic-strip hero is a journalist by trade. With his faithful dog Snowy they spend their days in dangerous adventures.

听

Like many a young person who read the Tintin books I could picture myself as this somewhat achievable hero. Indeed Herg茅 once said as much. Tintin is myself, he reflects the best and brightest in me. I am not a hero, the cartoonist continued, But like all 15 year old boys, I dreamt of being one and I have never stopped dreaming.

听

There's a great power in the imagination.

The prophets in the Hebrew Bible knew it.

They don't simply say that there will come a time when peace will reign

Instead they speak in pictures of beating swords into ploughshares and of the lion and the lamb lying down together.

听

Jesus knew it too

It鈥檚 not enough to simply say, 'do to others as you鈥檇 have them do to you'

To stir us into action he tells us stories of a Good Samaritan, or a runaway child

Tales that stick in the mind and stir the human heart

to find a place for such behaviour in our lives

听

No doubt this will be costly and require some sacrifice听听

听

But听 if the world in 2014 is to be changed for the better

we'll need to live with reckless hope and profligate love

we'll have to imagine what a better world might look like

and then dare to go and make it so.

听

Dear God, few of us are heroes,

But help us never to stop dreaming of being more than we are听

Stir our imaginations with images and stories听听

That we may go on to accomplish many things on your behalf.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听

Amen