Advent 2018 – Day Six – When the walls come down.
It is cheating a little but the song which came to me for this reflection was the Foo Fighters – When the wheels come down but with the word wheels changed to wall! Strange how your mind works… well mine at least.
“Broken hearts will mend
This is our beginning
Comin’ to an end”
Each time I visit I make a point of visiting one of the places where the Berlin Wall once stood or where there are some small remaining sections.
Whilst there I take a little time to remember that sometimes what seems impossible is possible.
The wall fell – dismantled by the people..
Whilst in the Holy Land we did stay for a couple of nights in Bethlehem which is still a relatively small town. It is the touching point between Israel and Palestine and has a imposing and somewhat sinister security wall.
As tourists the transition between the two sides of the wall is fairly straightforward but I understand that this is not always the case for the Palestinians working in Jerusalem as they navigate the checkpoints each day.
The authorities would argue that the wall is there to maintain the 
peace and I suppose on one level it does but as with the Berlin Wall before it, the wall stands as a stark and very visible reminder of the division between two peoples.
The coming of the Christ Child foretold by Micah – and the peace promised seemed rather remote as I stood by that wall but we believe that the time will come when we will all live in peace and walls will no longer be necessary.
I pray that day may come soon.
Bible Passage: – Micah Chapter 5 Verses 2 – 5(a) (NIV)
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
And he will be our peace.
Prayers and Reflection
Helpful Hymn
Hymn: Singing the Faith – “O little town of Bethlehem”
Contemplation saying.
“And he will be our peace”.
Let us pray together.
Contemplative Prayer.
Think of the saying in order to understand context and meaning,
Feel the meaning of the saying with and in your heart,
Pray, using the saying, for yourself or others. With only a name and without explaining the reasons or pre-defining any answers.
Listen for God’s voice in the quiet of your prayers.
Pray using your own prayers or one of those which have been prepared below.
Twitter Prayer
. Loving God, we praise you that what seems impossible to us is possible with you. Amen.
Facebook Prayer
.Lord Jesus, help us to see where we are building walls rather than relationships. Help us to dismantle those walls and instead build bridges which will being us closer together. Help us follow your gospel message to love our neighbour as ourselves. Lord give us strength, courage and perseverence as we live out your words. Amen
Full Prayer
Lord Jesus, you tear down the walls which exist between us. You call us to make enemies into friends and replace hostility with hospitality. 
Lord that is so hard for us to do so help us to remember that nothing is impossible with you.
We ask that your gospel of peace will find a place in our broken relationships. Where high dividing walls are present between partners, between children and parents, between friends and in churches. Walls which are constructred of pain and pride, busyness and neglect.
We pray that you will come and help us tear down these walls, for you are our peace and Peacemaker.
We are certain that the day will come when we will love perfectly as you love us and walls will be no more.
Help us today, in our every word and deed, to give a glimpse of that sure and coming day.
In your all powerful name we ask this. Amen.
