Murdoch and Anne MacKenzie
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  • Copyright
This Collection of his Writings and Photographs is a Memorial
​to the Life and Work of Murdoch MacKenzie              
This Nativity scene was handcrafted by trainees at the C.S.I. Katpadi Industrial School


Christmas Letter 2005

All glory be to God on high and to the earth be peace!
Goodwill henceforth from heaven to earth
begin and never cease!

 May you know the blessing and peace of Christ this Christmas
and in the coming year.

 Anne and Murdoch
Picture
With dahlias just removed  in time 
Before the first hard frost 
Of this winter’s tale begins 
Not in Bohemia but here in Connel
With shining moon at daybreak
O’er the Firth of Lorn
  Beckoning  another day with pre-Advent intimations 
  Of Christmas and the hard coming they had of it  
  Not least by Madness Visible in Bosnia and Herzegovina
  Where we were disturbed by images of war
  Of bombed out houses and bombed out houses and bombed out houses
  Of roadside children selling wild strawberries and jam and honey
  Amidst the limestone grandeur en route to Mostar Bridge 
  Where Paul Lowe’s words came back to haunt us
  ‘He who builds a bridge will join two worlds
  but he who pulls it down will lose them both’
  And lose them both, and lose them both
  All in the name of religion or of God or of ethnicity?
  Of pomp and circumstance and bloody-mindedness
  So far removed from lowliness in Bethlehem’s stable 
  But now enshrined in hill-top crosses 
  Dominating the skyline as testimony 
  That Srebrinica’s killing spree may not be over
  And that the insecurity of mighty Herod 
  Still seeks for little children to devour.
  And yet there is the love which in a family lies
  With friendships never to be broken 
  And shining stars like Zoran protecting Muslims in the midst of war
  And those like Pemba who had seen it all 
  And in whose ancient eyes and face were etched 
  In lines too deep for tears the history of humankind
  And Hadzira’s most important question asked of Hana
  If she had been to  Wetherby to see her grandma’s grave.
  But then there was Vietnam 
  Where Ruth returned to train and teach
  And sit by Mother Mekong’s swaying bamboos 
  With moonlight overhead
  And Iain in London on that fateful day
  So glad he rode a scooter not a bus
  And Anne whose hip hooray was done at last 
  And Murdoch struggling with Gaelic and the book on Milton Keynes
  Which may be out by Christmas
  When once again the Moon will shine
 Not only in Vietnam but here in Connel
  And across the earth with everlasting Light
  Of prophets searching questions 
  To each of us to hush the noise and end the strife and hear the angels sing.


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