COMFORT, COMFORT ALL MY PEOPLE

Comfort, comfort all my people
with the comfort of my word.
Speak it tender to my people:
All your sins are taken away.

1. Though your tears be rivers running,
though your tears be an ocean full,
though you cry with the hurt of living,
comfort, comfort.
Every valley shall be lifted,
every mountain shall be low,
every rough place will be smoother:
comfort, comfort.

2. Though your eyes see only darkness,
though your eyes can see no light,
though your eyes see pain and sorrow:
comfort, comfort.
Every night will have its morning,
every pain will have an end,
every burden will be lightened:
comfort, comfort.

Extra verses written for 1988 Christmas Bowl Appeal

1. Though we build strong walls for prisons,
though we feast while others starve,
though we fill this world with weapons:
comfort, comfort.
Every prisoner will be rescued,
every hungry mouth be filled,
every gun will rust, forgotten:
comfort, comfort.

2. Though we fracture God's creation,
though we stand so far apart,
though we fail to love each other:
comfort, comfort.
Every wall will crack and crumble,
every stranger will be friend,
every one embrace another:
comfort, comfort.


1975. Three or four days after our twin sons were born, Dorothy was overwhelmed by it all and was crying when I came to visit her in the evening. (Dorothy never cries — well, only about once every ten years.

She says it's too much bother.) In typical, helpful, husbandly fashion, I went home and wrote a song for her. She wasn't all that impressed at the time and is still not keen on the song. But I like it, and from many comments made to me, it's clearly been a song that has helped many people when they've been going through difficult times, times of conflict, struggle or depression.


ALWS 5/10/23

To say I've been inactive on my website is a serious understatement! I've written nothing here since early 2021. 

So, does this mean the world has stopped for us, that nothing is happening?
A major event for us in 2022 was moving house in October. We had been in Modbury Heights since July 1993.Now we're back in Klemzig.

In May we travelled to the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia, seeing work supported by Australian Lutheran World Service. Dorothy and I are Ambassadors for the ALWS programme, Lives You Touch. We are encouraging people to leave money in their will for the work of ALWS. We committed to leave a third of our will many years ago and hope many others can touch lives in this way.
Since then we have visited Box Hill & Loxton with Jonathan & Julie Krause as part of the Asante presentations, promoting the cause of ALWS. Still to come this year are Asante events in Toowoomba & Rochedale (Nov 26 & 27) and Perth (Dec 10)

Looking forward to seeing many people on these occasions.