Hope and Joyful Comfort

Greetings, friends! Your old wandering pal, the Reverend Buddy, has ended his self-imposed exile, and emerged from the non-digital wilderness, to once again lift your spirits and lighten your hearts, while illuminating our path ahead. Surfing into the light as we go, dear friends, I say unto you that I have been away these many months, for I have had nothing to say. (And my ability to compose run-on sentences remains as healthy as ever.)
Seriously, flock, I have lain in the weeds and bushes, wading in the bulrushes awash with scum and swampy effluvia,  biding my time and keeping my counsel, while the scribes, con artists, and carnival barkers have filled the air with vile curses and profane pronouncements. (Thank goodness the presidential campaign is over!)
So, flushed with relief after a vinegar smoothie, I am here once again to inspire and amuse you with gentle reminders that love is all you need, and if you want for less, you will be more easily satisfied.
I have missed our interweb intercourse, but I have always been true to my pastoral code, which maintains that a homilist should only say what he means, when he feels it absolutely necessary, for the benefit of the flock, and not himself.
Truth be told, dear ones, your pal Reverend Buddy certainly does not find the sound of his own voice unpleasant; yea lo these many years have I been my own favorite (and only) audience on more occasions than not. And I have been known to mistakenly consider my most incoherent ramblings to be sagacious pearls worthy of imparting to the widest possible audience. Fortunately, I have been mentored by many of the greats - Charlie Chaplin, Marcel Marceau, Calvin Coolidge, and Harpo Marx.
All have counseled me in the cardinal rule of preaching: Say nothing, unless you are absolutely sure that your words will help.
My children, you know that the Church of the High Beams is open to all, at no charge, ever, like Facebook without the ads. We welcome all, always, in the interest of bringing love to all. We are all children of the Light, in the Image Divine made; it's our job to take care of each other, to remember where we come from. Especially when events cause the forces of chaos to rise in our consciousness.
We all know that what should be a joyous time of year has been marred by fear and incomprehensible pain; that Biblical storms and inexplicably brutal acts have been visited upon the most innocent among us. It has ever been so, my friends - we must remain strong in spirit, and calm of mind. And in the face of the Mayan end time as it approaches in a mere few days' time, I beg you to remember that NASA has told us the Mayans were eating mushrooms, or peyote, so they screwed up the calculations, and the world really won't end, at least probably for another few years. So there's that; and we have the time of joy, of peace and hope and comfort, lubricated by egg nog I'm sure, to which we may look forward. It is for this reason that I've emerged from off the grid to speak with you today. I've been looking, and seeing a world full of my brothers and sisters in obvious need of some joyful comfort. And your pal the Reverend Buddy will not let you down. Herewith follows a list of things you may do during this season that I guarantee will make you enjoy the waning days of 2012 much more than just sex and drugs and rock and roll unless you're British and over 65, which means you're already a rock star anyway, and probably should take a break:
1. Buy a toy, and bring it to a fire station or Marine recruiting center. Don't wrap it, just give it to them. They will see it goes to a child in need.
2. Go to the Post Office, and ask where the letters to Santa get answered. Take a couple and answer them, impersonating St. Nick.
3. Tip your garbage collector. Those folks do a dangerous, dirty, thankless job all year. No one would appreciate a little love more than they.
4. Say thank you as many chances as you get, to as many people as you can, every day. Think about someone who has helped you in your life who you haven't ever thanked, and make it a point to seek them out and thank them.
5. Every time you hear about a bad thing happening, say a prayer or think positively on behalf of everyone involved. They all need your thoughts and prayers, every one of us.
6. Make sure to run or walk or just jump up and down for a while. Don't just sit there; exercise is good for you, and you've got to be good to yourself in order to be good for others.
7. Think about all the reversals, bad luck, or misfortunes that have befallen you over the last year. Bring each one up in your mind, one by one. Think of them each one last time, then say goodbye, and let them go. Really - let them go.
8. Think of everyone who has screwed you over, betrayed you, done you dirty, hurt your feelings, or otherwise hurt you.
Now forgive them.
I didn't say you had to like them, I just said forgive them. Forgive them so you can get past whatever crappy dirty nasty thing they did to you. Don't let them do it again, just forgive, and move on.
Leave your anger, hurt, guilt, pain, whatever, in the past, where it belongs. Stop dragging it around with you, and lighten up. Let it go.
9. Sit still for awhile, and don't think about anything. This one is my favorite thing to do. I always feel better after I let my mind go blank; I think you will too. Just make sure not to do it while driving or operating heavy machinery.
10. Sing lots of songs, and play a whole lot of music. Doesn't matter what kind. The world always needs more music, especially singing. Sing as much as you can.
And, if you know any, sing songs of hope and joyful comfort....
Songs of hope and joyful comfort
songs of peace I sing tonight
songs of hope and joyful comfort
songs of joy I sing tonight

Still and silent early morning
Ere the rising of the sun
here a bright new age is dawning
Days of joy and peace to come...

The days of joy and peace are coming, my dear friends. Keep love in your hearts, and you will always be strong. Give love freely, and you will be happy. And eat lots of fruits and vegetables while drinking plenty of water, because dehydration can cause you to become irregular, which will surely make you cranky.
Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Buon Natale, Joyeux Noel, and Merry Christmas!

Son of a carpenter
Mary carried the light
Well we must be surfin surfin into the light
Must be tonight...
all my love,
Your Friend,
Rev Buddy Lee