I start my job quite early, often about 4am, and want to read something as I eat breakfast alone. My lovely bride is purging the house of clutter, and during the process she found my grandparents’ copy of “The Lutheran Hymnal”.  For the past few weeks, I’ve been reading these ancient hymns each morning with my egg and hard bread.

Today’s hymn is #605, written by Bernard of Morlas ca.1140; “The World is Very Evil”. Listen to these lyrics?

“The world is very evil, the times are waxing late;

Be sober and keep vigil, The Judge is at the gate;

The Judge that comes in mercy, The Judge that comes with might,

To terminate the evil, to diadem the right.”

The part that makes me weep is about the judge who comes in mercy. Is it possible that G-d is our beloved elder who kindly picks us up, dusts us off, and sets us on a new path? So good to see such grace in the midst of the Dark Ages! May you be blessed by the kindness of G-d today! Amen.