Quaker Life
December 2005

Valiant for Truth Contents

By Patricia Edwards-Konic

Letters of Love

As the Advent season approaches, I have been thinking about my coming trip in December which will include Bethlehem. When I stand in the shepherds’ field, will my heart be open to hear the words that God may have for me? What will the city look like now? Will visiting during the Advent Season bring the birth of Christ more alive for me?

Yet really, how do you recapture the greatest love letter ever sent by God into our world?

As this great love letter begins, young Mary hears the words that change her life forever: “And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” (Luke 1:30-31)

Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, hears about her pregnancy and soon receives his letter of love from God: “behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:20-21)

The shepherds in the field tending their flocks were the next to receive God’s love letter: “And the angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” (Luke 2:10-11)

A bright star in the sky was the letter of love sent to the wise men of the East: “lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.” (Matthew 2:9-11)

Jesus was God’s letter of love given to all humanity. No greater gift could be given than God, come down to earth in human form.

Have you received this greatest letter of love? Have you heard the whispers (or shouts) as the letter has been written in your heart? Have you heard the words, “Fear not,” and then responded in faith to God’s request?

As you send out your Christmas greetings this year, remember that each one of them is a letter of love, sharing your joy in Christ with others! And I’ll let you know in January about my visit in Bethlehem.

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On the Cover

Cover art by Dinah Roe Kendall from Allegories of Heaven: An Artist Explores the “Greatest Story Ever Told” with The Message by Eugene H. Peterson as accompanying text, InterVarsity Press, 2005.

8 The Path to Christmas
Amy Runge Gaffney
Discovering the path to humility, the author also finds the “path to Christmas—to the birth of God’s new life in us, and to our souls’ serenity.”

10 Reflections from the World Gathering of Young Friends
Four young Friends share their reflections on the recent World Gathering of Young Friends in England.

12 Silence: The Quaker Sacrament
J. Brent Bill
“…Quaker silence is different from other silences,” writes the author. Adapted from his new book Holy Silence: The Gift of Quaker Spirituality, Paraclete Press, 2005.

14 The Gift of New Life
Ben Richmond
“Constant struggle and fear results in anxiety,” writes the author. But living in community one can find the greatest gift, the love of God. Excerpted from Signs of Salvation: New Life Where Grace and Truth Meet, Friends United Press, 2005.

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Features

4 Commitments
Retha McCutchen

4 News from Friends United Meeting

9 Soul Food
Advent Hope
Kelly Kellum

16 Peace Notes

17 News

19 Reviews

23 Booknotes

26 Passages

28 Classifieds

30 Meeting Directory

33 Friends United Meeting
Member Yearly Meetings

34 Viewpoints

35 Centering

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