NEWS FROM AUSTRIA

now another Christmas is approaching and while it was once a time I loved, a time for meeting friends and for meditation, modern development is largely not my taste ­ it is now a time to spend money we can ill afford (often) on many useless luxuries ­ with little or no thought of what was once the meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Creator, in whose memory it was once intended to remember Christ's birth: (but He was probably born in September, not December.) two years ago I was travelling home on a bus and as I stood up to press the `stop' button, the driver had to brake violently because a young man turned his car exactly in front of the bus. I fell on the back of my head and woke up in Hospital. I was transferred to a Hospital outside Innsbruck with head injuries, broken bones in my right foot and, which they discovered later, broken bones in my spine. I was operated upon later and now have five pins in my spine. I was in Hospital from 7th December until the end of may, so I could almost regard it as a holiday ­ I was very well treated.

In September I risked going to my caravan: I have neighbours from Italy with whom I have been friends for years, and I discovered that they had prepared the caravan for me, having cleaned and washed everything. I was almost speechless at all this kindness.

If such kindness were spread around the world, wouldn't it be a happier place? I see American, British, european and Austrian news on t.V. and it is absolutely frightening. I have wondered several times why God the Creator doesn't wipe mankind off the face of the earth.

It is interesting to read in Genesis that He did have regrets: there are many man-made problems which man cannot solve. It is so good to know that the Creator has given power into the hands of His Son Christ. There is so much beauty in our world if only we have the eyes to see it.

--Mary Knechti