Today is the second Sunday in Advent, and the theme for this week is peace.
We live in a world where peace is a rare commodity. Families often are at enmity with each other; family feuds can last for years and lead to bickering, arguments and the cold result of estrangement. Countries are at enmity with each other, often resorting to war to try to achieve dominance and superiority. Living at peace, on a personal or more general level, is not always easy.
The difficulties we have with peaceful living result from sin, from our need to dominate, from our lack of humility and love. At Christmas we celebrate the arrival of the Prince of Peace, the One whose death and resurrection pave the way for those who have been far away from God because of transgression and sin to be brought near to God (see Ephesians 2.)
The path of peace is lined with humility, forgiveness, love, mercy and service. There is no way we can have inner peace, peace with God or peace with others unless we focus on how Jesus achieved peace. There is no way we can be peacemakers unless we study His life and how He did it.
Peace comes when there is unity. Instead of being fragmented people, torn apart by conflicting desires, warring elements within us, when we allow Jesus to bring purpose and wholeness to our lives, we can live at peace.
Christmas reminds us of the helplessness Jesus embraced in putting on human flesh. We see the indignity of the Incarnation, the voluntary self-limitation the Son of God embraced. He ‘made Himself nothing,’ as Philippians 2:7 tells us.
Perhaps our lack of peace comes from our unwillingness to humble ourselves. Instead of strutting and boasting, if we are willing to be servants of God, we can know peace within.