Very interesting website.
A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes … and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
German pastor and philosopher (1906-1945) imprisoned and executed for his attempt to overthrow Adolf Hitler.
Sunday afternoon Geoff and I uncharacteristically sat down in front of the TV and caught a facinating documentary on a historical rescue of six Irish/American guys from a British prison in Freemantle (Western Australia). Throughout the story kept reappearing this word ‘resurrection’. It was an awkwardly beautiful phrase, yet after ten years and many letters, and so much waiting these innocent men were freed and taken home – the word fit.
I love the themes of resurrection and redemption and I don’t think we should leave them alone at Christmas.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”- Isaiah 9:2
Every Christmas I read the Hobbit. And although there is somewhat of a ‘resurrection’ of the dwarves treasure and history from Smaug, there is the more significant resurrection of Bilbo from his comfortable life.
Neither can be construed as perfect metaphors – I’m not sure they even are metaphors. But there is something to be said for waiting and hoping and allowing peculiar shaped freedom to show it’s face.
Ultimately, we have just one moral duty: to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves, more and more peace, and to reflect it towards others. And the more peace there is in us, the more peace there will also be in our troubled world.
– Etty Hillesum,
died in Auschwitz in 1943 at the age of 29. From An Interrupted Life, a compilation of her diaries and letters.
(from Sojourners Verse & Voice)
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned Noise Trade before. But as I had forgotten, there is no harm in bringing it up again.
Check out Noise Trade for some ‘tell 5 friends’ or ‘pay what you want’ free music.
It’s been showing in Melbourne for months and quite out of the blue Geoff bought us tickets.
So, that’s where we were this afternoon, at a matinee session of Wicked. It was a truly spectacular musical and although I’m perhaps not as well versed as I’d like to be in theatre experience, to say it was, “Very good” would be an understatement.
I am still in awe of the phenomenal costumes and set. And the fact that we had the understudy lead role – makes me wonder quite how they found someone better. Neither did we see Anthony Callea (who really cares).
It was nice to have an old story go bust at the seams and it didn’t ruin the Wizard of Oz in the slightest, infact I dare say it enhanced any childhood experience of the kind, including my grade 2 debut as a munchkin.
Well worth the money, even that spent on the flashing martini glass…