Terrible

At least nine are killed in another terrorist assault.  This time at a Christmas market in Germany.  Meanwhile, a gunman has opened fire in a Mosque in Zurich.  And the Russian ambassador to Turkey has been assassinated.  All in a single day.  Of course there are other violent crimes.  In our part of the world, we had our obligatory shooting on the local morning news.  And there will be others.

We pray for peace on earth, not because we believe it will happen on this side of heaven.  We pray because it is our earnest desire that, against all hope, it could happen on this side of heaven. So pray we will.  Even if this holiest of seasons originated with two such contradictory proclamations:

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.