Tänään jumiksen jälkeen kävimme tutustumassa Phnom Penhin joka vuotisiin joulumyyjäisiin, joissa monet maan hyväntekeväisyysjärjestöistä esittäytyy. Joulun henki oli läsnä jatkuvasta tropiikin paahteesta huolimatta ja näimme jopa vilahduksen itse joulupukista!!
Kaupallisen kimaltelevan ja hohtavan joulun vastapainoksi aamun virren sanat (alla, englanniksi)...
After the service today we visited Phnom Penh's annual Christmas sale which features many of Cambodia's charitable organizations in the spirit of Christmas. We even got a glimpse of Santa there!!
As a counterpoint to the glitzy and glam commercial Christmas, here below are the words of one of today's hymns:
Let all mortal flesh keep silence,
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded,
For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth,
Our full homage to demand.
King of kings, yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords, in human vesture,
In the body and the blood;
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heavenly food.
Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way,
As the Light of light descendeth
From the realms of endless day,
That the powers of hell may vanish
As the darkness clears away.
At His feet the six winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence,
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
Alleluia, Alleluia
Alleluia, Lord Most High!
