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Day Eight : 4th December

4th December

How Beautiful are the feet of them
that preach the gospel of peace.
How beautiful are the feet,
how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace.
and bring glad tidings, and bring glad tidings,
glad tidings of good things, glad tidings of good things.

A story from Jeannette, in her Advent sermon from 2003. Yes, it is worth looking up the whole sermon!

Once upon a time there was a fabulously wealthy king who lived in a fabulously beautiful palace. But in spite of his wealth the king had a simple heart and a deep, sincere desire to find God.
He read books.
He consulted wise men.
He prayed in the gold covered palace chapel.
But to no avail.
He was not at peace
His life was not meaningful.
He could not find God.

One night, while lying in his soft, satin bed, the king was pondering why he was having so much trouble finding God and meaning in his life.

Suddenly he heard a terrible racket on the roof of the palace.

He went out on the balcony and shouted

"Who's up there?
What's going on?"

A voice, which he recognised to be that of a hermit who lived in a forest nearby, shouted back,
"I'm looking for my goat.
She's lost, and I'm trying to find her."

Angered by such a ridiculous response, the king shouted back, "How can you be so stupid as to think you'll find your goat on the roof of my palace?"

The hermit shouted back, "And you, Your Highness! How can you be so stupid as to think that you'll find God while dressed in silk pyjamas and lying on a bed of solid gold?"

These simple words of the old hermit jarred the king so severely that he rose from his bed, changed his life, and, eventually, became a great saint.