Peace on Earth
Sunday is the fourth week of Advent.
What is Advent? Well, if you remember from an earlier blog post, Advent is simply this: an arrival that has been awaited, especially of something momentous. It is from the Latin, "adventus" which means, coming.
Advent is celebrated in the church during the 4 Sundays preceding Christmas and for those in liturgical churches - it is the beginning of the "liturgical year" (a rhythm of scripture reading and practices).
Traditionally, it is marked by a wreath that holds 5 candles.
One candle is lit each of the four Sundays, the 5th on Christmas day.
Each candle represents an aspect of the spiritual preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
The first candle represents the prophets (Hope).
The second is the manger (or Love - the Love that came down).
The third - the shepherds (or Joy).
The fourth - the angels - (Peace).
The fifth - is the Christ candle - which represents Jesus as the Light of the World, typically lit on Christmas day. (Monday!!!)
In church history lingo - the 1st Advent of Christ - is His birth.
The 2nd Advent of Christ - is His 2nd coming.
Sunday marks the fourth week of Advent and the candle we will light (literally or figuratively) represents peace.
Peace.
What a beautiful word and doesn’t our world need a big dose of it? Maybe your personal, private world needs to drink in a big gulp of peace!
Sit quietly for a moment and take some deep breaths.
Let’s do something together. Let’s read together Luke 1:26-30 in the Good News Translation - I invite you to read it out loud two or three times.
Holy Spirit, speak a fresh word to our souls from Your ancient word . . .
“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you! Mary was deeply troubled by the angel’s message, and she wondered what his words meant. The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you.” (GNT)
This is such a sweet and tender exchange.
The first thing the angel offers her, even before addressing her fear - is peace. Peace be with you.
The desire and need for peace shines brightly against the backdrop of a world at war with terror.
Lord, let there be peace on earth, and yes, let it begin with me.
Less obvious at times is the peace that we need (and that is promised) against the backdrop of the war that is being waged against our souls by the enemy and the war that often wages within us because of stress, anxiety, painful pasts, and present circumstances.
Like Mary, we are promised peace, blessing, and grace.
When I picture Mary, I don’t picture her robed and haloed, I picture her parenting and pondering the pain that was promised, yes, promised to pierce her soul. I picture her carrying pain and promise in her heart and walking that out with faith and trust.
The Son of God was birthed into a world of mourning, a world in pain. He journeys with us through that pain and promises His peace. Jesus enters into places of tears—that is why He came. He came to bring peace - to our world on a day yet to come and to our inner world today. My friend, peace be with you, the Lord IS WITH you and has greatly blessed you, don’t be afraid, God has been gracious to you.
As we turn a calendar page into a new year and enter the joy of its newness, surely we will know something of suffering, either close up and personal or just close up.
I pray that we will look at suffering through the lens of Advent and when we see it or encounter it, allow it to increase our longing and desire for Him, for His presence now, and His promised return one day.
Advent is about anticipation and waiting . . . it was for then, it is for now.
Julia and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We pray that you know the peace that comes from a relationship with Jesus. Peace may not be a reality in our world at the moment, but we believe wholeheartedly that you can have peace within.
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He cause His face to shine on you and be gracious to you, may He lift His countenance on you and GIVE YOU PEACE!
Written by Kaye Hurta