'Tis the Season

As for now — well, it doesn’t help being single in New York City with two deceased parents and the faint, abiding fear of spending Christmas alone with a newspaper and a muffin at Chock Full O’ Nuts. -- Zmirak

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A desolate Chock Full O’ Nuts with the snow pelting down on the street outside. Sounds a lot like Bethlehem to me. JZ speaks of recovering a sense of Advent as the Winter Lent. All we need to do, really, is to become more conscious of what this season, the so-called Holiday Season, means to so many, the frantic despair not so very far beneath the surface of the most determined merrymaking. But if you are interested in getting back to the authentic celebration, click on the link above.

Update on Missing Persons in Iraq

From: "Doug Pritchard, Toronto ON"
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 16:37:38 CST
Subject: IRAQ - Update on Missing Persons in Iraq
To: menno.org.cpt.news@MennoLink.org

CPTNet
Nov 30, 2005, 1 am (Baghdad)

Update on Missing Persons in Iraq

We were very saddened to see the images of our loved ones on Al Jazeera television recently. We were disturbed by seeing the video and believe that repeated showing of it will endanger the lives of our friends. We are deeply disturbed by their abduction. We pray that those who hold them will be merciful and that they will be released soon. We want so much to see their faces in our home again, and we want them to know how much we love them, how much we miss them, and how anxious and concerned we are by what is
happening to them.

We are angry because what has happened to our teammates is the result of the actions of the U.S. and U.K. government due to the illegal attack on Iraq and the continuing occupation and oppression of its people. Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) has worked for the rights of Iraqi prisoners who have been illegally detained and abused by the U.S. government. We were the first people to publicly denounce the torture of Iraqi people at the hands of U.S. forces, long before the western media admitted what was happening at Abu Ghraib. We are some of the few internationals left in Iraq who are telling the truth about what is happening to the Iraqi people. We hope that we can continue to do this work and we pray for the speedy release of our beloved teammates. ( Read more... )

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I was going to comment, but I can't right now. Maybe later.