It is Advent.

The time of preparing, waiting, longing, singing, praying, crying out for the coming of Jesus, the coming of God’s kingdom.

It is a time for lighting candles in the darkness.

This week, we light the second candle, the candle of peace in our Advent wreath.

What does peace mean? What does peace look like?

Quiet? Calm? Safety? Serenity?

Is peace the absence of violence? The absence of conflict or discomfort?

Peace, in some ways, is elusive, because different people define it differently.

I do not believe the peace that passes understanding, the peace of the peaceable Kingdom of God, or the peace that the Prince of Peace brings is achieved or maintained through violence. I also do not believe that peace means avoiding anything that makes us uncomfortable. God’s peace is, and must be, better than that. It must be for everyone.

In 1955, Pete Seeger wrote the song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” with the refrain, “when will they ever learn, when will they ever learn…”

If we are ever to learn peace, we need to name it, discuss it, teach it, explore it, pray for it, and practice it in both big ways and small ways. We have a lot to learn, and the world desperately needs it.

So, my friends, I invite you to learn peace with me this season, even though it might feel small and insubstantial at times. When we all light our candles together, we will glow. 

May God fan the flame of peace in our hearts, in our church and in our world, and may our prayer be:

Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

 

 


CG+