Peace on earth
Andy Williams sings “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” and people most everywhere seem to agree.
Feuding colleagues will join together in a toast at the office Christmas party; families will choose to bolster their patience and spend time with family members they find difficult; even those who say with contempt “Christmas is so commercial” will still make the effort to be kind to their neighbours; and on December 25, churches will fill with people who would not ordinarily darken the archways at any other time of year.
Tensions, arguments, grudges and conflicts don’t stop for the Christmas season…but sometimes it feels, at this time of year, the notion of peace doesn’t seem entirely impossible. Why does this idea of “Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards all” take root in so many hearts, at least for a few weeks at the end of every year?
Could it be that our hearts are stirred to peace because that was the very purpose for which Jesus was born into the stable in Bethlehem two millennia ago and we were created to enjoy?
The conflicts of humanity, everything from squabbling siblings to devastating wars, are mere blips compared to the greatest, eternal conflict. Not a conflict between Good and Evil (that was ultimately decided before it began: God wins), but the conflict between humanity and God, started when we chose to put ourselves before our Creator. It is because of this conflict that Jesus entered into the human story, to bring peace between God and his beloved humanity at the cost of his own life.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
Isaiah 53:5-6
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Sadly, this Christmas many individuals and families are still going to face disputes, deal with relationship pain and endure violence. For some it can feel nice to believe, even for just the Christmas season, that peace on earth may just be possible, but our tragedy is that humanity’s efforts to bring about lasting peace are fleeting and flawed.
The peace of Jesus, brought by the power of his Holy Spirit, though isdifferent. It isan eternal peace with God the Father that restores our close relationship with Him, and in turn sets us on the path to being true peacemakers in His image. “Peace on Earth” is a God-given desire in the heart of humanity, and found not in our efforts but through faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
If you are moved to see this hope of Christmas endure, perhaps this year the best gift you could give your loved ones, your community and the world is to join in Christ’s great work of peacemaking, trusting in him and bringing wherever you go the gift that He first gave on the night he was born.
To help you live out this hope of peace in practical ways, explore our PEACE to You this Christmas flyer for simple, biblical tips to guide you through the Christmas season and share God’s peace with those around you.
