the One who came & is coming again

it is early evening and i am sitting at my desk listening to the church bells down the road ringing out "o holy night"... and as it echoes through the streets, i am reminded what a blessing it is to live in a place where this significant piece of history is more well known than it is in many other places around the world. and oh, how much more i prefer these sounds to the dissonance of clanging temple gongs at 4am in dashe. that is about the one thing i really do not miss :)
may the truth ring out loud & clear over there too, one day...

***

here is a passage to dwell on. try reading it aloud. pretty awesome.

"...And even any good that could be thought or desired is found in this Jesus Christ alone.

For He humbled Himself to exalt us; He made Himself a slave to set us free; He became poor to enrich us; He was sold to redeem us, captive to deliver us, condemned to absolve us; He was made malediction for our benediction, oblation of sins for our justice; He was disfigured to re-figure us; He died for our life, in such manner that by Him harshness is softened, wrath appeased, darkness enlightened, iniquity justified, weakness is made strength, affliction is consoled, sin is impeached, despite is despised, dread is emboldened, debt is acquitted, labor is lightened, sorrow turned into joy, misfortune into fortune, difficulty is made easy, disorder made ordered, division united, ignominy is ennobled, rebellion subjected, threat is threatened, ambushes are driven out, assaults assailed, striving is overpowered, combat is combated, war is warred, vengeance is avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, abyss is thrown into the abyss, hell is helled, death is dead, mortality immortality.

In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all wretchedness."

-- John Calvin, preface to the Geneva Bible, 1550


This is the One we have waited for!