On the second Sunday in Advent, Rev. Cari began with a focus on the (newly named by Amnesty International) genocide in Gaza. She spoke of the movie “Where Olive Trees Weep,” distinguished between Judaism and Zionism, observed the role of trauma in the atrocities, then (finally) got to the texts for the day.

Malachi 3:1-4 provoked a little spontaneous mini version of Handel’s Messiah from her, and Luke 3:1-6 led her to a discussion of two words in Greek: metanoia (repentance) and aphesis (forgiveness – but literally, release). Peace as the result of a mind- and heart-changing release toward healing… something we all need.

She closed with the invitation to consider what practices might take us in that direction.