hoping for peace on earthTo take each moment
and live each moment
in peace, eternally.
Let there be Peace on Earth,
and let it begin with me.
-from the song " Let there Be Peace on Earth"
(Words and Music by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller, Circa 1955)
yesterday was quite memourable for me because i arrived an hour late for the Vesper Service in my favourite church in Manila, which unusually started an hour earlier from the regular time that i knew. i usually join the morning service but i was late so i opted to attend the vesper and to my surprise, it started an hour ealier. scrolling "the spire" where the announcement part is, i found out that it was sort-of experimental. the write-up about christmas as a celebration brought much inspiration to me.
i was quite disappointed missing lots of singing hymns, but regardless, i was quite happy to be able to catch the anthem and message part, down to the communion towards closing. the message was delivered very candidly but meaningfully- as compared to the very formal and typically evangelical style that i relish in the morning services.
i love listening to this pastor because clearly, he has a vast knowledge about almost anything. i consider him as an intellectual, with very impressive background, and armed with a degree from an American university, yet he is capable to "level off" so to speak, to his listeners of various background. however, his very candid style on that vesper is another interesting revelation about him. and boy, he did not mind singing as a part of his message, and he sings really well!
part of the message was an anecdote about a daughter's account of his father whom he has been away from for long seventeen years. there was an interplay of awaiting for the messiah, with hopes and excitement that it brings, and that of a young daughter(who grew up away from his father who has been working overseas as a chef) awaiting and finally spending quality time with her dad.
their reunion showed the difference between reality from the ideal and the daughter was very upset to find out that her dad was human enough to have the so called "vices". she discovered that he drank too much and smoked a lot, leading to his lung cancer. there was a struggle on her part , either to resent his father's presence or just forgive him and make his few days in earth a lot happier. she, along with her siblings and mother chose the latter.
the pastor stressed the issue of putting else's feet on someone's shoes and being away from home for quite a time, and studying overseas i can easily relate to the struggles, pains and coping mechanism of someone away from home, much more from his country. and this is a lot more special case because i was away studying for less than three years but the subject was away to work and send money for his family for seventeen long years. quoting from the message it said " we have realised that drinking and perhaps smoking were coping mechanism to survive the loneliness, strangement, alienation that he experienced to give us a life." further it said " we decided to love him inspite of who he was and what he has done to himself. we put ourselves in his shoes. "
the pastor excellently made a simile on the unconditional love that we as humans have received from our Creator. and from the resentment that the daughter has felt towards his father, they decided to love and take care of him, regardless. qouting he said " there is a change of heart that is necessary in order to wait for the coming of the Lord."
it was the second sunday of advent so the second candle was lighted- the candle of peace. there was this usual partaking of bread and wine as part of the worship which are all emotionally and spiritually enriching. the singer in me has always considered singing as a part of worship so i love doing the hymns. the song let there be peace on earth was the closing song. it has been ages since i sang this song and i felt sublime. this is because a couple of weeks or so, i was looking at the mumbai tragedy in india, the unrest in bangkok, thailand and i rejoiced over the appointment of a new peace panel head in mindanao because he is a diplomat.
and i reckon there is still hope for peace and letting it begin with me is quite a hurdle, but trying to do so would make a lot of difference. and the image of the christmas decoration that i took in davao city in the christmas of 2007 came back to my mind. and so for the third time i have to upload this picture in this blog even i have used it for my cry for peace in mindanao. http://reckonsofspring.blogspot.com/2008/08/cry-for-peace-in-mindanao.html, http://reckonsofspring.blogspot.com/2008/08/continuing-cry-for-peace-in-mindanao.html
the lines of the song " to take each moment and live each moment in peace, eternally" brought moments of reflection on my part. did i, on my best efforts, took each moment and lived each moment in peace over the past few days, months or years? if not- then probably i could start doing it today. why not?
yeah, let there be peace on earth- and let it begin with me.
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