I’m always intrigued by what the Bible does not tell us as well as by what it does! Matt 2:1-12 gives us the story of the Magi travelling to greet a new-born King. We do not know who these ‘wise men’ were; they are often depicted as kings in our Nativity stories (probably because of the expensive gifts they brought with them), but we actually don’t know who they were, how many they were or if they rode on camels, despite the prevalence of these views in our cards and plays! Nor do we know why they decided to travel so far to pay homage to a new-born king in a foreign country or why they did this based on astronomical facts alone (a star to guide them.) We don’t know when they arrived, but it’s unlikely Mary had to deal with shepherds and wise men all on the same night (for which she was, as a new mother, probably profoundly grateful.)

What is clear, however, from the narrative is that their arrival in Jerusalem caused a kerfuffle. We can understand why they went there (a palace is a logical place for a king to be born.)  But for both the Magi and Herod and his advisors, their arrival brought chaos, not peace: ‘When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.’ (Matt 2:3)

Jesus upsets the status quo. He ruffles our feathers. He reminds us that peace is not possible unless He is factored into the equation, and many of us want to leave God out of our lives and run things ourselves. We like being in control. We like being in charge.

Peace, however, can only come if the Prince of Peace is in our lives. Without Him, we are without hope and without God; we need to invite Him into our lives if we are to know true and lasting peace.

The Christmas story moves from the actual birth of Jesus (narrated in just two verses) to some of the most unexpected visitors imaginable. (Luke 2:8-20) Shepherds were the equivalent of our key workers, I suspect: they had to work no matter what, in conditions that were often not particularly peaceful or restful. They were not highly regarded in society, and yet their work was essential.  These ordinary people were visited by an angel of the Lord, bringing news that ‘today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’ (Luke 2:11)

As if that were not amazing enough, suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.’ (Luke 2:14)

It was not to the high and mighty that these angels appeared with a message of peace, joy and hope. It was to ordinary shepherds, whom many despised. God has a habit of choosing ordinary people whom others would ignore or despise. (1 Cor 1:26-28). This in itself is reason to hope and cheer!

We often long for a life of peace, a life without troubles, trials and temptations. Yet Mary and Joseph remind us that when one problem is solved, another invariably raises its head! Despite having peace with each other again, life – this time in the form of Roman bureaucracy – intervenes to make things difficult for them. A census is ordered which means they have to travel from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem, the town of David. (Luke 2:1-5)

Even nowadays, travel is not encouraged for heavily pregnant women, but Mary had to make this journey. Then, just to make life even more difficult, when they eventually arrived in Bethlehem, there was nowhere for them to stay. (Luke 2:6-7) Giving birth in a room full of animals can’t have been exactly peaceful; I’m often amused by our idyllic (and utterly unrealistic) Christmas carols which speak about silence and no crying! ‘All is calm, all is bright’ would not, I am sure, have been Mary’s assessment of the situation!

Peace does not always mean an absence of activity, noise, frustration or difficulty. I am reminded of the story behind the hymn, ‘It is well with my soul.’ Written by Horatio Spafford, he was a successful lawyer and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871 and then lost his four-year-old son to scarlet fever. Thinking a holiday would do his family some good, he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England, planning to join them after he finished some pressing business at home. However, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship was involved in a terrible collision and sunk. More than 200 people lost their lives, including all four of Horatio Spafford’s precious daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to her husband that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

It’s hard to imagine the grief and horror of this situation, and yet this man of God wrote this hymn on the way to his wife:

‘When peace like a river attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll—

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know

It is well, it is well with my soul.’

Peace with God can exist even in times of tragedy and heartache.

This year, Oxford Languages (the creator of the Oxford English Dictionary) titled ‘goblin mode‘ as the 2022 ‘Word of the Year.’ The phrase first appeared on Twitter in 2009 and means ‘to reject the idea of returning to normal life or to rebel against the unattainable aesthetic standards and unsustainable lifestyles exhibited on social media.’ So now you know…

I love new words and am always interested in how language changes over time. Nothing thrills me more than word play and beautiful words. Yesterday my three-year-old granddaughter told me the name ‘Tia’ was a sad name, because it was (in her mind) associated with crying. I was impressed that these homophones (Tia/ tear) evoked such a perceptive response in such a young child!

I frequently ask God for a Bible verse or word that is on His heart, and I feel that that word at present is ROBUST – meaning strong and healthy or vigorous.

In the Message version of the Bible, the word ‘robust’ is found in several places (‘a robust faith’ in Titus 1:13, ‘robust in love’ in Eph 4:16, ‘robust well-being’ in Isaiah 66:12). The word is often translated ‘sound’ in other versions, but I like ‘robust’ because for me, it does sound more vigorous and allive than ‘sound‘!

God does not want us to be feeble, fearful people. He wants us to ahve a sound mind and right thinking so that this affects our physical health (giving us a ‘robust body’ as Prov 14:30 in the Message version puts it.) The key to strong mental and physical well-being is to have a mind that is fixed on God. (Col 3:1-3) The more we focus on God and allow His very breath and blood to flow through us, the more we will be nourished (like a growing foetus) ‘so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.’ (Eph 4:16, The Message) As Rend Collective put it, ‘You are the power in our veins, our Lord, our God, our Conqueror.’ (‘More Than Conquerors’,)

God speaks not only to Mary through miraculous means, but also to Joseph. (Matt 1:18-25) His intervention means that Mary and Joseph are once again united in purpose and in peace. Joseph is reassured of Mary’s integrity and God’s miraculous work in their lives. It may indeed be an unprecedented situation, but actually, this is foretold in Scripture (Isaiah 7:14) and both individuals have a part to play in the situation.

We can be reassured that when God speaks, He will confirm His word to us and will work in families. He does not ride roughshod over individuals, but invites us to participate in His plans. If we are struggling with situations, we can bring our anxieties and worries to God, and His word promises us that His peace, which transcends understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:6-7)

The Christmas story does not initially appear to have much to do with peace. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s news comes as a great shock. Then we have the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary, a young girl in Nazareth. (Luke 1:26-38) She is a virgin who is pledged to be married to Joseph, but she is told she will conceive and give birth to a son. (Luke 1:31) She shows great maturity and faith in accepting this truth, but Joseph (not surprisingly) finds it incredible. He has to wrestle with feelings of rejection and betrayal, assuming she has been unfaithful to him, musing about what to do and how to divorce her without causing disgrace to her. (Matt 1:18-19) Their happy relationship is under threat. God’s intervention in their lives must have meant great upheaval and very little peace initially.

Jesus, one of whose names is the ‘Prince of Peace’, does not always seem to bring peace to us (see Matt 10:34). He disturbs our routines and our everyday lives; He makes demands on us that can seem utterly unreasonable. He tells us to forgive our enemies and to bless those who persecute us. (Matt 5:43-48) He urges us to love the unlovable and to do good to all. He reminds us that everyone is our neighbour and that we have a responsibility to all. (Luke 10:25-37) Those of us who become Christians are sometimes surprised by the animosity this arouses in friends and family. Peace can seem a long way off, an unattainable goal.

And yet as we continue, we will see that peace does come. If it’s not yet yours, wait for it. God brings peace into turbulent situations.