One favorite song for many in church is the song, “Let There Be Peace On Earth.” But do we really pay attention to the message of this song? A message that’s really summed up in the last line. ♪ Let there be peace on earth ♪ ♪ And let it begin with me ♪ It may be the ideal that we strive for, but the truth is we are not perfect, and each of us, in our own little ways, contribute to the world being just a little less than it could be because of the choices that we make. And realizing this, admitting this… we stand before God and recognize we are all sinners. And to recognize this means that we accept we need God’s mercy, and we need God’s grace and strength to change. And that’s what we see in the tax collector in the gospel story. He has it right. Standing off to the side, we’re told he has one thing on his mind. “Oh God! Be merciful to me, a sinner.” I think it’s safe to say if we think about this, there aren’t simply good people and bad people. There are simply sinners and sinners. People who mess up and people who mess up. And there are people who need God for everything, and people who need God for everything. And so friends, today if we think about it in this way, it’s clear. We know that we’re creating a better world, and we know where that begins. We’re trusting in God’s love and mercy, and the grace of God that helps us do our own inner work. Then we can truly say those words and pray that. Let there be peace on earth, but let it begin with me.