Advent Week Four in Review
For some reason, writing about peace is hard for me of late. Maybe because it is difficult to articulate when the world we inhabit is groaning. 2020 has repeatedly kicked us when we were down. I don't know about you, but it literally brought me to my knees in desperate prayers to the God of all peace. There have been a lot of "why" questions; anxious moments full of doubt; anger at the selfishness sprouting in my own heart; and overall fatigue at the never-ending beatings this world has dealt us. Knowing that it isn't over yet AND is unlikely to improve at the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2021 deflates me.
Peace means different things to different people. What does it mean to you? Is it a time of quiet and tranquility? The absence of disturbance? Perhaps harmony without war or conflict? Likely you have experienced moments of peace throughout your lifetime. We all have. Most of us can remember peaceful times free of conflict and full of harmony with others. Or the glimpses of freedom found while enjoying nature, relaxing on a beach, hiking, looking and listening to God's creation as it offers praise to the Almighty. Those things are all AMAZING. But sadly, they are only temporary manifestations of the divine inner peace we seek and will fade at the spark of disagreement or reentry into reality. We are left empty-handed from looking for divine inner peace in all the wrong places.
So, if we tend to get lost along the way, where can lasting peace be found? There is no Utopia. Wars will continue to rage, and people will continue to suffer and die. Marriages will crack and families crumble. Addictions may poison and destroy us. Dogged pursuit of our unmet desires will consume us if we are not careful. Viruses will still ravage nations and destroy the living. And people will fail us and break our hearts. Is there really peace to be found when we are in dire straits?
Yes! It is found in the Prince of Peace born so long ago. The same tiny baby who slept peacefully swaddled in rags, with a full belly, clean bottom, and his mama nearby. The one whose birth we celebrated a few days ago. The one who grew into the very Messiah who loved us enough to conquer death and rescue us from ourselves. The one who bridged the divide between heaven and earth.
Make no mistake, peace is not resigned acceptance of our fate or ignoring the pain and turmoil in our lives or the lives of others. It does not mean denying the plight of those less fortunate. And it certainly is not a life lived apart from harsh realities. Neither is it always free of conflict. Sometimes the conflict is necessary and spurs us to grow and change so we can find it, finally.
Divine peace is found only in the presence of God. It comes when we know him so well, trust him so completely, listen to his still, small voice so keenly, and recognize that we are most fully ourselves when we are completely known and loved by him. It is an inward reality of deep faith. It honors the pain and suffering inflicted on us by a cruel world, and sustains us THROUGH it instead of letting it destroy us.
Peace is a gift.
"Peace I leave you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27
