Advent – a season of penance, expectation, and exile – draws to a close only to be met with the punctuation of the divine interaction into human history.

I like the song O Holy Night for this reason and in particular, these lines:

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.

Judging the stories I hear daily, we are not the best students. Perhaps this coming year will be different, will be somewhat better.