At Advent we remember the text from Isaiah 40. “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, says your God”. It goes on to say that “ Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain”. While God promises this, we, humans, work to make it happen. Neither does it happen suddenly. It is a long process. In this sense we can look at some of the efforts being made to comfort god’s people during this Advent.
Hopeful and imperfect agreements were reached recently:
On 10 December 2018, in Marrakech, Morocco, 164 countries agreed on adopting the very first effort to address worldwide migration with the Global compact on Safe
and Orderly Migration.
On Saturday 15 December 2018, in Katowice, Poland, almost 200 countries agreed on universal transparent rules that will govern efforts to cut emissions and curb global warming. It is one small step forward together at a time when we see difficulties countries are experiencing when it comes to collaboration for the greater good. A tiny step forward on the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
On Monday 17 December 2018, the first Global Compact on Refugees was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, New York with 181 countries in favor.
These are some of the ways in which our leaders, after years of negotiations and on behalf of the whole human family try, with all our human limitations, to make “rough places plain” and bring comfort to God’s people.
