Scripture: Philippians 4:7 – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (NRSV)
Christmas is just two days away! It has been a busy December for me and my family and sometimes I find the need to both work and relax at the same time. One way in which I do this is to go to YouTube and find some “ambient” music or sounds. In recent years, these kinds of videos have exploded. They often feature a barely moving image of some comforting scene like a warm fireplace or a small church on a snowy evening. At the times when there are a million thoughts racing around my head, the reminder of peace can help me focus once again and not only aspire to but sometimes achieve the peace of those comforting images.
I think that peace is best place to end to end this year which has been filled with much stillness but little actual peace. We have found ourselves kept in our homes, kept away from our loved ones, kept away from our jobs and the other parts of our lives that provide meaning and the necessary resources to survive. We have endured rumors of potential cures and conspiracies, the politics of fear and mistrust, and just so much loss. And amid the anxiety over the state of the world and our encroachment of ever longer and colder nights, we long for that peace, for that assurance, for the quiet fall of snow, for the crackle of the fire, for the warm cup of tea.
Some of those in our church family just finished a book study on The Names of the Messiah by Walter Brueggemann, which examined the political and theological importance of the titles “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” and “Prince of Peace.” I tried to add a spiritual component to Brueggemann’s musings. Jesus is the prince of peace who resists the empires of war, but he is also the prince of peace who quiets our inner turmoil. Through his presence, through his being the Emmanuel, the God-who-is-with-us, we find such calm is possible even through pandemics and politics and storms of all kinds.
At the end of Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, one that was written in the traumatic environs of a prison cell, Paul wishes peace to his friends in Philippi. He advises them not to worry, just as he has put his worry aside, so that the true peace of God, which is beyond our ability to fully comprehend or appreciate, might protect them from anxiety in the most troubling of times.
whether you are viewing the “Christmas Star” from a snowy hilltop or rapidly wrapping last minute gifts in the midst of rain pelting the windows, I hope that you can find that peace this week, knowing that whoever you are or however you feel, God is always you. Merry Christmas to all.
Prayer – Lord Jesus, send us the peace we need and the wisdom to recognize that your presence which is peace has always been with us. Amen.
Commenti