There is a story that made the rounds on the internet a few years ago about Margaret Mead, an American anthropologist, speaker, and author. Margaret Mead was supposedly asked by a student what she thought was the earliest sign of a civilized society. There are many variations of the anecdote, but the general details are similar: To the student’s surprise, Mead replied that the first sign of civilization is a healed human femur—the long bone that connects the hip to the knee. Mead proceeded to explain, as the story goes, that wounded animals in the wild would be hunted and eaten before their broken bones could heal. Thus, a healed femur is a sign that a wounded person must have received help from others. Mead is said to have concluded, “Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts.” While the veracity of this story is questioned, the concept of it is admirable – we are not meant to do life alone. Scripture punctuates this truth over and over. Even Jesus ministered with a group of folks. The Scriptural story for worship this week illustrates the importance of companionship and compassion. We begin in Bethlehem, travel to Moab, back to Judah, a short stop in Galilee, and finally, we land back in the Judean countryside for a part of our Nativity story. Companions in the faith, I look forward to journeying with you this Second Sunday of Advent as we move closer to the manger! Grace and Peace, Pastor Amy Beth