HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

Building...stone upon stone

Our own small stone of activism,

which might not seem to measure up

to the rugged boulders of heroism we have so admired

is a paltry offering toward the building of an edifice of hope ...

For we can do nothing substantial toward

changing our course on the planet, a destructive one,

without rousing ourselves, individual by individual,

and bringing our small, imperfect stones to the pile.

- Alice Walker,

The Impossible Will Take a Little While:

A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear.

A reprieve for specialist religious broadcasting at RN?

Readers of Desert will recall a series of posts regarding new programming at the ABC's Radio National in 2009 which would result in the axing of the Religion Report. Please see posts here, here and here.

This afternoon Crikey has published the following article:

Glenn Dyer writes:

Is the head of ABC Radio, Sue Howard, about to leave the national broadcaster?

Talk around the ABC is that the Corporation's Managing director, Mark Scott, has decided to find a new head of radio and Ms Howard doesn't fit his view of what's need for the gig.

Michael Mason, the current head of ABC Local radio, Kate Dundas, who has served in various positions in ABC radio is another contender, but a late bloomer is Linda Bracken, who heads up the Triple J Network.

There's talk Ms Howard's future at the ABC would have been clarified late last week, but there was a Radio National function on Friday and then in the Australian's Media section on Monday, Mark Scott was named media person of the year, so an announcement about Ms Howard's future might have been a bit off.

Mr Scott is understood to have been less than impressed with the way the restructuring of some of Radio National's programming next year was handled by the network's management and the management of the division.

Discontent with Howard apparently dates to the bungled decision to reshape Radio National programming, including the rescheduling and abolition of several specialist programs. Management's intentions only came to light after an unauthorised early morning editorial from the Religion Report's Stephen Crittenden in October. The changes might have been the sort of thing of which Mark Scott might approve, but the implementation was a PR disaster for Radio National. 

Calls to ABC Corporate were not returned by deadline.

Guantanamera: the woman from Guantanamo

There is something about the song, Guantanamera. Belting out that one word somewhat musically does something to one's spirit. Aaaah, I feel Latin, Spanish, Cuban. My Anglo-Irish genes have tucked away in them another gene that rolls its r's and speaks Spanish. And my foot taps: boots with cuban heels making staccato noises. Any moment now a tango, a salsa will come - all because of that woman from Guantanamo whose 90th annivesary of memory in song will be celebrated next year, in 2009.

Which brings me to Roger Cohen. Each day the email edition of The New York Times drops in. I don't read it every day and, when I do, I don't read it all. There's a cursory glance at the headlines as I head for the Op-Ed - the opinion pieces. And I'm picky. My favouritest is Paul Krugman whom I have been reading for years and who, just this year, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics. Nice to know I can still pick 'em. I used to read Thomas Friedman. But not since, some years ago, he complained that no one was helping the USA in the Iraq war - when Australia was, first in after the USA, because of the conservative PM at the time and Australia's penchant for following the USA into hell and high water. I used to read Maureen Dowd all the time - but then everyone in Australia caught on and her columns would make it into the Australia press and I moved on. I read the occasional Gail Collins - not quite as smart and not as politically sharp as Ms Dowd but very amusing. Frank Rich is getting more reading time - and, because of his Cuban columns, Roger Cohen is stirring my heart. See what I wrote about his last column over here.

And now he has written with the dateline, Guantanamo Cuba. Guantanamo: the sounds of music, desire, and inhumanity all in one word. In Cuba, Cohen found a surprise:

A surprise awaited me. The church was full. A young priest in luminous green vestments was holding Mass. His words met me as I entered: “La Misa es siempre un encuentro con Dios” — “Mass is always an encounter with God.”

Read his words for yourself - food on which the mind may meditate and which will touch the spirit.

Third Sunday of Advent 2008: Gaudete Sunday - Rejoice!

Went over to Eltham last night for their Multi-faith Carols by Candlelight. The Carols were to have been held in the Eltham Town Square - with a rain-affected strategy of retreat to the Catholic Church. Well, it was at the Catholic Church - but not because of rain. It was because of the cold - following all the rain of Friday and Saturday. Imagine - December in Australia and Carols have to be indoors because of the cold!!!

The Rev Stephen Delbridge whose wife Libby is the Vicar of St Margaret's Anglican Church wrote his very first song for the occasion called "Dreaming". 

DREAMING

Chorus:

Dreaming God is with us

Dreaming God is here

Jesus born among us

Born afresh each year.

~~~

Listening to the rising wind,

Tossing the leaves,

teasing the night,

God is calling across the sky,

Jesus in love is coming in light.

Whispering to the sleeping Joseph,

Baby unseen, gift to the world,

Mary alerted holds her breath,

Joseph in trembling,

wonders unfurl.

Jesus is born love and tears,

Held in embrace, hope amongst fear.

Mary knows God is born this night,

Joseph holds promise

new life so dear

(c) Stephen Delbridge 2008

Please note:

The words of Stephen's song are published here by permission.

If you wish to use the words and if you wish to obtain the music that accompanies them,

please email Stephen at 

stephen(dot)delbridge(at)mh(dot)org(dot)au

PS:  The Christmas Bowl collection was for "Disaster Risk Reduction" in the Pacific Islands. The money will go to help people reduce the damage from cyclones which have increased in frequency due to climate change.

Breath, Hope and Light

My friend Belinda and her blog, Belinda's place, are very inspirational.

Even more so is this thought for the journey.

Thoughts for the Journey

Behold, behold I make all things new,

beginning with you and starting from to-day.

Behold, behold I make all things new,

my promise is true, for I am Christ The Way

Second Sunday of Advent: 2008

Prayer of the day - Advent 2

Merciful God, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: give us grace to heed their warning and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever - Amen

~~~~~~

From the Pew Sheet, All Saints, Mitcham

Rev'd Dianne Sharrock, B. Theol

The first reading today is from the prophet Isaiah [Isaiah 40 1.11] and brings a message of hope and comfort to the people of Israel who wee in exile in Babylon.  Despite their failings God is merciful and has promised them a new beginning.  John the Baptist appears in the line of that great prophet and again promises Israel the chance of a new beginning if they repent and turn again towards God.

The emphasis in Mark's portrait of the Baptist is very much that of the subordinate.  John's self-effacing manner makes it clear that he is not the one who is promised, but the one who is to prepare the way.  The emphasis in John's preaching is non judgment, for Jesus it is salvation.

The wilderness or the desert can be a silent and frightening lace - and yet it is into this silence that both John and Jesus withdraw to pray.  For them it became a place of deep intimacy with God.

Advent is also a time of new beginnings and John the Baptist's 'voice in the wilderness' is also a personal invitation to each of us to prepare a way for the Lord into our lives now.  The church recognizes the need to be in a kind of wilderness and so we do not have flowers, except for the Advent wreath, no water in the font, no Gloria nor Creed and we could also use a pottery chalice, paten and candle holders.

John speaks of repentance and to repent is to have a change of heart or mind.  Have you ever had a change of heart or mind over a significant person, issue or task which has led to a new approach or way of thinking?

Make time this week to spend a while in the wilderness within, listening to the voice that is there.

Pax, Dianne

Bearing Witness

Here’s the principle: 

if something is happening 

and we’re the only ones witnessing it, 

we have a responsibility to posterity

Naomi Klein

ADVENT LITANY

Come, Advent God
and complete the special work of Love
which you began in Jesus of Nazareth.

Many are cast down with spiritual needs,
thirsting for the Peace of your forgiveness
and the warmth of your healing Love.
Come to them with the grace they desperately need.
At evening or midnight, morning or midday - Come, Lord Jesus

Many are in despair through physical hardship,
seeking relief from their burdens
and hope in the midst of their cares.
Come to them with the help they desperately need.
At evening or midnight, morning or midday - Come, Lord Jesus

Your church in all the world needs saving
from everything that threatens its mission.
Where it is persecuted, keep it faithful.
Where it persecutes, rebuke it.
Where it is seduced by affluence, shake it to its foundations.
Where it is self-satisfied, thoroughly unsettle it.
Where it is weak, poor, and meek, bless it with your Joy, Peace and Strength.
At evening or midnight, morning or midday - Come, Lord Jesus

Come Advent God, and complete your work in Jesus Christ,
through whom we offer these Prayers.

At the dawn I seek Thee,

Refuge, Rock sublime;

Set my prayer before Thee in the morning,

And my prayer at even-time.

I before Thy greatness

Stand, and am afraid;

All my secret throughts Thine eye beholdeth,

Deep within my bosom laid.

And withal, what is it

Heart and tongue can do?

What is this my strength, and what is even

This my spirit in me, too?

But indeed man's singing

May seem good to Thee.

So I praise Thee, singing, while there dwelleth

Yet the breath of God in me.

Solomon ibn Gabirol

Translated by Nina Salaman

Thoughts for troubled times - 14

This picture comes from here

Righteous art thou, O Lord,

when I complain to thee;

yet I would plead my case before thee.

Why does the way of the wicked prosper?

Why do all who are treacherous thrive?

Thou plantest them, and they take root;

they grow and bring forth fruit;

thou art near in their mouth

and far from their heart.

...to be continued

 The Book of Jeremaiah 12:1 and 2

Thoughts for troubled times - 13

In the midst of concern for our economic direction, the size our carbon footprint...

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself,

that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps,

Correct me, O Lord, but in just measure;

not in thy anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.

The Book of Jeremiah 10: 23,24

First Sunday of Advent: 2008

From http://www.earthsong.org.au/

We are being called into a new place
and our creativity is being placed
at the service of Earth,
in a new millennium and a new moment.

There is an awakening of deep energy,
for embracing the interconnectedness of the whole life community
and finding the place of the human within this community.

Living within the Divine Mystery,
we celebrate the sacredness of all beings
and the integrity of all creation.

Drawing on the wisdoms of our past,
we are moving into new expressions
of our response to the creation:
'groaning in one great act of giving birth'.

We seek to learn new ways,
widening our horizons,
believing in a possible dream,
touching into our deepest experience
to give and to receive life.

~~~~

All Saints - The Anglican presence in Mitcham & Nunawading
Rev'd Dianne Sharrock, B. Theol
Forthcoming Christmas Services
Thursday 4 December
A service of lessons and carols for Advent
organised by the All Saints' Mothers Union
Christmas Eve 24 December
5pm - Family Service with Wombat Divine
11pm - Sung Eucharist with Carols
Christmas Day 25 December
9.30am - Sung Eucharist with Carols
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayer of the Day - Advent 1

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came among us in great humility, that n the last day when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MAKE ADVENT YOUR OWN IN YOUR OWN HOME THIS YEAR

Here are some household prayers with daily scripture readings for the weeks of advent

with many blessings from All Saints at Micham & Nunawading

Opening Prayer

Wait for the Lord; be strong and have courage and put your hope in the Lord.

Then then glory of the Lord will be revealed and all people will see it together.

Thanks be to God.

Readings

Choose a Scripture reading from the list given below)

Thanksgiving for Light

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

We give you thanks and praise, God of all creation:

You gave us the sun that runs its course with joy, the moon and stars to brighten the sky at night.  

Brak through our clouds of doubt and fear.

Wake us up to your saving awesome works;

Teach us again that nothing is too wonderful for our God.

Make us heralds of your peace to all the earth, bearers of your light to those who are sad and afraid.

Grant us rest this night that we may sleep surrounded by your love.

We pray in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Light of the world.  Amen

Lighting of the Advent Wreath (if you don't have a wreath, perhaps you can light a candle)

By the tender mercy of our God, 

the dawn from on high will break upon us, 

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, 

to guide our feet into the way of peace. 

(Luke 1:78-79)

Jesus said:  

"I am the light of the world."  

The nations will walk by this light 

and all people will see God's glory.  

(spoken as the candles are lit)

Responsive Prayer

Jesus, our Emmanuel, 

you promised to be with us in all times and places:

Come now and be our friend.

Come, Lord Jesus.

You came as a baby, born in a manger,

and the magi called you "King":

Come to rule the world with mercy and peace.

Come, Lord Jesus.

You walked through towns and villages,

Healing the sick and feeding the hungry:

Come and show us your way of love.

Come, Lord Jesus.

God sent you to save the earth and all its people; 

your love for us led you to the cross:

Come with joy, and open wide the door of life.

Come, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

Closing Prayer

God of Light,

you have promised that you will feed us,

hold us tenderly and protect us:

Guide us through each day,

abnd lead us on the highway to your home.

Come to us when we are afraid and uncertain.

Bless us as we prepared to celebrate Christmas.

Gather us into a community of love,

ready to receive Jesus and 

to bring his healing and peace to the world.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Then say the Lord's Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name....Amen

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

The love of God,

and the communion of the Holy Spirit

be with us.

O come, O come Emmanuel!

Advent Daily Scripture Readings

(the list of readings is a *.jpg file.  Please click to enlarge.)

Thoughts for troubles times - 12

Learn not the way of the nations,

nor be dismayed

at the signs of the heavens

because the nations

are dismayed at them,

for the customs of the people are false.

The Book of Jeremiah 10:1

Crittenden Inquiry

A follow up to the posts below, Stephen Crittenden, has been suspended on full pay pending an inquiry into comments he made last week about the axing of flagship programs on Radio National.

Self defensive and attacking #2

This article is in this afternoon's Crikey

What are they doing to Radio National? God help us!

An extraordinary opening comment by Radio National Religion Report presenter Stephen Crittenden this morning (listen to it here) was the first many ABC listeners will have heard about serious changes to the RN schedule planned for 2009. Former ABC religious broadcaster Paul Collins takes up the tale:

Words tell you everything. When you hear "interdisciplinary" you know it means "dumbing down" and "consumer focused" always refers to the lowest common denominator. This is precisely the rhetoric used yesterday by ABC Radio National management to describe their intentions for RN programming next year.

Several specialist programs are being taken off-air including the Religion Report, the Media Report and Radio Eye. The Reports are flagship programs that deal with issues central to current culture. Apparently they are being replaced by a movie show and something about the future. Specialist broadcasters will spend more time responding to opinionated bloggers rather than making programs. God help us!

Let's be clear what ABC Radio management is up to: it is a case of the bland leading the bland. Specialisation is out. Nowadays the belief is that any old (or, more likely, young) "interdisciplinary" journalist can deal with any topic. Well, I've been interviewed literally hundreds of times on ABC radio and TV. My experience is that while most journalists make a reasonable go of it, they just don't know the detail and often have to be led to the key questions.

Take religion for example. There are no more than half a dozen specialist religious journalists in Australia. Two work for Fairfax (Linda Morris and Barney Zwartz) and the rest for the ABC which has had a religion department since the beginning of the Corporation. Stephen Crittenden, John Cleary and Rachael Kohn are able to cover a complex spectrum of beliefs, practices and theologies from a wide cross-section of traditions precisely because they are specialists.

Nowadays religion is a mainstream political, cultural and socio-economic issue with enormous impact on world affairs. To cover it adequately you need specialists. That is precisely what Stephen Crittenden has done on the Religion Report. He knows what the issues are and where the bodies are buried. Sure, he's upset some powerful people, but that's the nature of a free media.

I'm not paranoid. I don’t see this as an attack on religion. It's more a lack of appreciation of specialization, derived from the half-witted, post-modern conviction that everyone can do anything. Sure, they can ask a few prosaic, "man-in-the-street" questions. But that's not the task of Radio National. If you think it is, get a job with the commercials.

We need to be clear where this is leading. It effectively spells the end of religion as a specialization in the ABC. If you only have a couple of minor, essentially life-style programs on air you don't need people who know their stuff. All you need is an 'interdisciplinary, consumer-focused' approach, produced by the type of journalist who doesn’t know the difference between an Anglo-Catholic and an Evangelical!

Paul Collins is a former specialist editor (religion) for the ABC

Self defensive and attacking

It was only on Monday that I explained how I try to keep this blog's focus on resources for Desert Spirituality. To-day, I am defending and attacking all at once in defence of one of the great religious resources, The Religion Report on Australia's public broadcasting icon, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and its presenter Stephen Crittenden.

The Religion Report is first broadcast on Wednesday morning's at 8.30am. Each morning on Radio National there is an 8.30am to 9.00am timeslot allocated as follows:

Monday..................The Health Report

Tuesday..............The Law Report

Wednesday...............The Religion Report

Thursday...............The Media Report

Friday.....................The Sports Factor

This morning Stephen had a spray at the beginning of The Religion Report and he has sent me what he said:

This week the new line-up of Radio National programs for 2009 was announced.

The Religion Report has been de-commissioned, along with The Media Report, The Sports Factor, The Ark, Perspective, In Conversation, Street Stories and Radio Eye. These programs are going in order to make room for (quote) 'more inter-disciplinary work on the network', and the 8.30 timeslot is being remodelled to give it (quote) 'more consumer focus'.

The decision to axe one of this network's most distinctive and important programs has been
approved by the Director of ABC Radio, Sue Howard, and it will condemn Radio National to even greater irrelevance.

The ABC's specialist units have been under attack for years, but the decapitation of the flagship program of the Religion Department effectively spells the death of Religion at the ABC. That
such a decision has been taken in an era when Religion vies with Economics as a determinant of everything that is going on in the world almost beggars belief - but you have to remember that just a couple of years ago they axed the Environment program.

The Religion Report has always been fearless - and I don't have to tell you that it has put many powerful noses out of joint. This is a signal to the churches that the ABC has decided to vacate the field. If you care about this program and what it represents, I suggest that you might
consider writing to the ABC Board or the Managing Director, Mark Scott.

I set out below my letter to everyone on my email lists this morning:

Dear One and All,

The Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) is a national treasure and an international icon of public broadcasting - although our politicians of the right and left don't appear to regard it as so with their stacking of boards and miserliness with funding.

One of the great pleasures in my life is listening to the ABC's Radio National. If you don't listen to Radio National, don't bother reading further because this is all about trying to save some of Australia's most respected broadcasters and programs at Radio National from getting the axe. To outline this, Stephen Crittenden of The Religion Report has sent me a copy of his statement read at the commencement of TRR this morning. Read it below.

Stephen's spray outlines the proposed "re-modelling" of the 8.30am timeslot but makes no mention of either The Health Report or The Law Report. If they survive in one form or another, will this be because doctors and lawyers have more influence with RN than the rest of us?

The religion programs - which along with Radio Eye are my favourites - are The Religion Report hosted by Stephen Crittenden and The Ark hosted by Rachel Kohn. I would be surprised if there was a better religion journalist/presenter anywhere than Stephen. I have no idea of Stephen's faith perspective - he could be a religion literate atheist for all I know - but his conversation is intelligent, subject literate, perspicacious and insightful. Rachel Kohn is a most distinguished religious presented with great expertise in comparative religion.

The Religion Report covers a wide range of territory - but I think it would not be untrue to say that not all subjects of discussion on The Religion Report would have welcomed TRR reports of their doings. I can think of the Exclusive Brethren and Steiner education to begin with.

Australia has a long and proud tradition of secularism and long may it be so. However, in recent years, there have been clear displays of secular bigotry against individuals in particular and religion in general. Could the axing of TRR be another scalp of secularists who neither understand nor give a fig for the topic of religion?

Australia has a diverse population - and many of our immigrant communities come from old faith traditions which are continued in this country. TRR helps to give a voice to these traditions and to make those traditions known to the broader Australian community. Losing this voice will not only leave us poorer but also also take away from us a vital tool in overcoming our ignorance.

Religious adversaries have brought suspicion, violence and war to the earth in recent years. Australian politics, which were long largely religion free, have now been penetrated with modern political tools by a range of religions. Who will explain this to us if not The Religion Report under the clear and precise dissection of Stephen Crittenden?

Stephen has asked us to write to the ABC Board or the Managing Director, Mark Scott. I would also suggest that we write to the Federal leaders of political parties from the Prime Minister down. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition are both known as men of faith - the former an Anglican and the latter a Catholic. I believe it is important that we make ourselves and our views known to them - for the sake of public broadcasting in this country and, in particular, the reporting of religion.Please let me know what you think and - importantly - what it is that you do.

So, Dear Reader, could you please do your bit to keep Australia's major religious communications resource on air and in the public domain. Please note for your records that the protocol for emails at the ABC is lastname.firstname@abc.net.au. Therefore......

Managing Director - Mark Scott .............. scott.mark@abc.net.au
Chair of the Board - Maurice Newman.... newman.maurice@abc.net.au
Board Members
Janet Albrechtsen .................................... albrechtsen.janet@abc.net.au
Steven Skala ............................................. skala.steven@abc.net.au
Peter Hurley ............................................. hurley.peter@abc.net.au
Keith Windschuttle .................................. windschuttle@abc.net.au
Director of ABC Radio - Sue Howard .... howard.sue@abc.net.au
Stephen Crittenden ................................. crittenden.stephen@abc.net.au

It goes without saying...

prayers and miracles are a welcome priority

BTW, the wonderful collection that makes up the Board of Australia's national broadcaster is the result of appointments made by the previous (conservative) Australian government. The current government bears no responsibility for that.

And, dear Reader, after all that, if you still have questions or need assistance for your lobbying, please let me know and I will try to find solutions.

Thoughts for troubled times - 11

Thus says the Lord:

"Let not the wise man gloryin his wisdom,

let not the mighty man glory in his might,

let not the rich man glory in his riches,

but let him who glories glory in this,

that he understands and knows me,

that I am the Lord who practises

steadfast love, justice, and righteousness

in the earth;

for in these things I delight,

says the Lord."

The Book of Jeremiah

9:23-24

Unexplored territory

Ben over at Journey Something has a wonderful poem -

Soul: the last wild frontier.

Please go see.

Thoughts for troubled times - 10

For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion:
"How we are ruined!
We are utterly shamed,
because we have left the land,
because they have cast down our dwellings."

The Book of Jeremiah

9:19

....and some Canadian Christians are doing something.

Self explanatory

I don't like to insinuate myself too much into the posts on this blog. I like to keep, as far as possible, to the focus of the blog as a resource for those orienting themselves to Desert Spirituality.

I am concerned - well, more concerned than usual - at the weal of the world. I started a series from the Book of Jeremiah as a reminder of and as a commentary on difficult times. Then I disappeared for a while.

Life is full for me at this time...so full that my other blogs have not been kept up to date. Explanation can be found here.

Thoughts for troubled times - 9

This picture came from here

Therefore, God-of-the-Angel-Armies says:
"Watch this!
I'll melt them down and see what they're made of.
What else can I do with a people this wicked?
Their tongues are poison arrows!
Deadly lies stream from their mouths.
Neighbor greets neighbor with a smile,
'Good morning! How're things?'
while scheming to do away with him.
Do you think I'm going to stand around and do nothing?"
God's Decree.
"Don't you think I'll take serious measures against a people like this?

Book of Jeremiah 9:7-9
The Message

Thoughts for troubled times - 8

The picture came from here

You trust in deceptive words to no avail.

Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to false gods...

and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say

"We are saved! We are delivered!"

-only to go on doing all these abominations!

Thoughts for troubled times - 7

The picture came from here

For if you truly amend your ways and your doings,

if you truly execute justice one with another,

if you do not oppress the alien,

the fatherless

or

the widow,

or

shed innocent blood in this place,

and if you do not go after other goods to your own hurt,

then

I will let you dwell in this place,

in the land that I gave of old to your fathers for ever.

Book of Jeremiah 7: 5-7

Thoughts for troubled times - 6

Stand by the roads, and look,

and ask for the ancient paths,

where the good way is;

and walk in it,

and find rest for your souls.

The Book of Jeremiah 6:16

Thoughts for troubled times - 5

. ...from the least to the greatest of them,

every one is greedy for unjust gain;

and from prophet to priest,

every one deals falsely.

They have healed the wound of my people lightly,

saying, 'Peace, peace,'

when there is no peace.

Were they ashamed when they committed abomination?

No, they were not at all ashamed;

they did not know how to blush.

Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;

at the time that I punish them, they shall be overthrown

The Book of Jeremiah 6: 13-15