December Stars--Gates to peace, 2 days til Christmas

"Anticipation," 5 by 7 watercolor card

Anticipation rises when you approach a gate, the road or path beckoning to the other side. 
Christmas nears, and much of the world anticipates a day of peace, respite from the babble and hassle of the god of commercialism. It too is a promise, or at least a hope,  of peace amid a world of unending war and violence and hatred and cruelty and pollution among humans.
Not much has changed since a "Prince of Peace" was born more than 2,000 years ago, and why should we expect it to have? 
He didn't preach and teach because the world was wonderful. He did so because we will always need a different kind of peace as an antidote to our daily, uncertain lives and world.
 "I have told you these things, so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." --John 16:33
So said the man who would be crucified because he dared to confront the falsehoods of organized religion and  rampant materialism, lies that bring no peace.
Anticipation of life beyond the gate.

(Day 23 of 31 December watercolors)

 "I have learned that an age in which politicians talk about peace is an age in which everybody expects war: the great men of the earth would not talk of peace so much if they did not secretly believe it possible, with one more war, to annihilate their enemies forever. Always, 'after just one more war' it will dawn, the new era of love: but first everybody who is hated must be eliminated." --Thomas Merton, Collected poems, 1977.
"The sin of religiosity is that it has turned God, peace, happiness, salvation and all that man desires into products to be marketed in an especially attractive package deal." --Merton, Faith and Violence, 1968