about three years ago, a friend enticed me to facebook. i signed up with trepidation, fearing it would eat my life. there is always that possibility, but mostly i have found it a good thing. i have become 'friends' with a wonderful variety of people, not only those i know from physical meetings, but also others, with whom i am now 'virtual' friends and with whom i share interests, and also books and music and prayers and real matterial-through-the-post-office correspondence.
but facebook has also made me even more aware of what a broken and sad world we find ourselves in these days. yesterday, the fourth sunday of advent, as we 'prepare' for the coming of our god and king, a friend shared the above picture with me. there are many ways we continue to slaughter the innocent. alas, much of our preparation for the advent of the creator of the stars of night consists of getting and spending.
also yesterday the longest discussion amonst my facebook friends consisted mostly of a group of 'christians' telling other 'christians' that 'their' church as bereft of the spirit, or lacking in sacraments, or invalid. i was reminded of the collect from the american book of common prayer which prays, 'open our eyes, o lord, to see thy hand at work in all creation.' surely all creation must include all of the church, whatever a pope and a patriarch of constantinope said to each other a thousand years ago. i mean, how were the people in tintagel to know that in 1054 they must decide whether the holy spirit was now acting through leo or michael.
and i was also reminded of a hymns by one of my favourite if sentimental poet, christina rosetti: love comes down at christmas. the link is to a setting by reginald o. morris, sung by the choir of king's college, cambridge.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAjB0GVpleg
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