For lo, the days are hast’ning on, By prophets seen of old. When with the ever circling years Shall come the time fore told. When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors sing. And the whole world sends back the song Which now the angels sing.
This is still our hope that we might live in a world at peace. A world where people listen to each other rather than shout slogans at each other, a world which rattles olive branches rather than sabers, a world which shares rather than grasps to itself, a world which measures people by content of their character rather than the color of their skin, a world where no one is left behind, isolated or ignored, a world where the humble sit at the table with the elect and both are heard, a world of love rather than hatred, a world of security rather than fear, a world of plenty rather than want, a world of dignity rather than shame, a world of gentleness rather than violence, a world of equality rather than discrimination, a world united rather than divided, a world well rather than sick, a world full rather than hungry, a world of family and friends rather than enemies and opponents, a world of peace rather than war. I know that the poem “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” is too optimistic about how near that world is to fruition, but even it seems to move more like glaciers than melting than flash floods. Can we not still work to bring that world closer? 2020 has been a hard year. Can we promise each other that we will make 2021 a better year? A year in which that idealized world comes a little closer to reality? Soli deo gloria. To God alone be the glory!