“As we light the second candle of advent this season, we turn to the theme of peace. Peace is something that mostly everyone in the world wants, yet as we see everywhere, it appears that peace has eluded us and that we are only ever going to endure conflict, violence, and hate. We see this tension happening as close as individual family members with each other, neighborhoods torn apart by strife, and even nation-states marching to the drumbeats of battle. Peace seems like a word used only by the dreamers or the idealists among us. Yet, the Bible reassures us that peace is coming and has already arrived, yet that peace is not through an idea, a revolt, a political document, or social movement. Instead that true, relational peace, the peace that transcends all understanding has come in a Person. Isaiah looked forward to when this King of Peace would come, and the Bible affirms His peace would stretch all over the world. The One Isaiah looked forward to is the One we look back upon as we celebrate His birth on Christmas.

Not only did Isaiah tell us that this King of Peace is coming, but Micah puts this coming in actual historical terms. He pinpoints it down to a specific place, a most unlikely place, Bethlehem, “House of Bread” where one day the One who is called “the Bread of Life” will be born. We do not serve a God of peace who is aloof or only giving us nice words or ideas, but the Creator has taken on flesh and blood and has lived among us showing us the way of peace and giving us a foundation for that peace. The foundation is that we are all made in God’s image, broken by sin, but loved and cherished by Him and given the opportunity to have a life of peace with Him that starts now and continues forever. With this as our foundation, let us live lives that would display and spread that peace to all corners of the globe so that one day there will be peace on earth and goodwill to men.

It is Jesus’ birth, His example, His Death, and His resurrection that lay the foundation for true and complete peace; peace with God, peace with one another, peace with His creation, and peace within ourselves.

“Let us pray: “Dear God, bringer of the only long-lasting and real peace, just as you created the world in peace, we ask you would constantly shape and re-mold our hearts to be a people of peace. May we walk in your ways and live lives showing your shalom, your complete peace, through the power of the One who gave us peace with you through His death and resurrection, our Lord Jesus, in whose name we pray, AMEN