I know it is not politically correct to talk these days about ladies!

Yet there is one lady with whom that term fits exactly. Indeed, it is the very title of a new French film about her life. She is Aung San Suu Kyi, the long term campaigner for freedom and human rights in Burma. For when we look at her life, we see a relatively privileged upbringing, we see towering academic achievements including Oxford and we see a statesman who would have been her nations Prime Minister if General Than Shwee had not grabbed power. Above all, we see a polite, calm and collected yet utterly committed martyr for her fellow citizens. In other words, we see a lady who is true to herself by telling out good news in a bad place. And we detect this same strength of personality and purpose when we look at John the Baptist. Since the gospel authors sometimes portray people rather thinly. But they do not do so with John. He clearly was such a powerful character that he had to be described in all his Bohemian wildness in all his protestors dreadlocks in all his anorak and woolly hat militancy. However, just like Aung San Suu Kyi, he had to be strong willed and determined and persistent if his news was to be heard. Since, he too had good news to tell out in a bad place. Good news that made a straight the road in rough times. Goods news, in fact, that helped people through a wilderness. Nevertheless, I am not sure, if we met him, we would describe John as a gentleman! Well, ladies and gentlemen we too find ourselves in a bad place and a bad time. For no one can escape the daily news of financial woes besetting nations and individuals. Indeed even 'thems' who knows seem to have no idea how to get us out of this wilderness. Well, one sure way not to escape this bad place is to cast around to find those responsible. Let us calmly leave

that to the historians and the analysts and moreover the wisdom of time. Instead, it is better we focus our intellect and energies in finding the straight road. Better we are strong for the people who need us. Better in truth we find how to be good news in this bewildering desert many find themselves in. And how can we be that to anyone we encounter caught out in this economic winter? Well, we must start this advent time by remembering the characters, weak and strong, who played a role in that first Christmas. For none were wealthy, powerful or had prestige. Yet it was to them and them alone that the good news came in the form a baby. That good news is still live today. Well, it will be, if we let it. And so when we meet those in difficulty at this time we need to display an extra strength of personality. For we do require the character to show that they too are precious to Christ. The resilience to show they too are still valued, respected and cared God. Moreover, the determination to show that they too have some good news coming even in their bad place. And we do that best by being persistent in our listening. Listening with all our time, listening with all our might and listening with all our soul. For if we do gift someone in trouble a willing ear and genuinely listen then God will surely do too. Because, when we really listen in the name of Christ, then our hearing in itself has become the straight way in the desert. Put bluntly, our ears

have turned into the gateway to the super highway the broadband to heaven. I often wonder what makes people like Aung San Sui Kyi tick? What makes women and men, often from comfortable surroundings and relative safety, step forward to be saints. If I might be specific - where do you think the Bonhoeffers and Francises; the Augustines and Luther Kings come from. Well maybe Aung San Sui Kyis response to that type of question is instructive. Because her father was the founder of the modern Burmese army who then negotiated Burmas independence from Britain in 1947 before he was assassinated by his rivals. Here then was a tireless fighter for the freedom his nation. Therefore, we can understand that, when Aung San Sui Kyi was asked why she was enduring all she had to, she replied - As my father's daughter, I felt I had a duty to get involved. If then this advent time we are daughters and sons of God, let us feel a duty to be involved. Let us get actively involved in helping another find freedom from the wilderness. Let us offer the good news of our concerned companionship to those in bad places. Surpassing even these, let us be there to listen and to listen and to listen some more. For then the baby will indeed be the father of not disinterested men or women, not uncommunicative passers-by but of ladies or gentlemen of a divine presence. Amen HYMN.