Advent 24

Volume 24 (Index and Atlas)

This is where it all started when I had the idea for this year's calendar. And this is where it all ends. Page 63 of the atlas bears the disarming legend, 'Palestine showing the 1949 armistice boundaries between the Arab States and Israel'. A lot of water and too much blood has passed under the bridge since that time. 

My uneasy notion was to take Bethlehem as my key and there it is, slap bang in the middle of page 63.

There has been a far from cogent thread of spirituality in these calendar entries. That is good as it gets with me I am afraid. It is not for the want of trying that my ideas are still unformed, or perhaps I should more accuarately say are re-formed on a daily basis. I am of an age when the impermanence of existence weighs heavy. 

What can be said is that Bethlehem is where the greatest story ever told has its near beginnings. And as evidence of my agnostic eclecticism I will, despite my voluntary attachement to the Catholic church, quote, not from an accepted catholic scripture but from the King James Bible (a 'Proddy' bible if ever there was one) since that is a beautiful deployment of the English language. One might say that I am guilty of having my communion wafer and eating it. All of this, in its grandeur and its silliness, proclaims for me the mystery of faith.

And Joseph also went up from Galileee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (Luke 2:4)

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. / For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

 And this encapsulates my meagre faith:

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. / No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. (John 1:17-18)

That's all folks. Thank you for reading. I will leave you with words of those two sages, John Lydon and Dave Allen: may the road rise with you; may your god go with you.