Birth of Peace

Advent is a churchy word that stems from the Latin word meaning “arrival.” The Old Testament sets the stage nicely for the arrival of a greatly needed king. The Gospels then tell the story of the arrival of baby Jesus. The arrival of Jesus was not merely the birth of a historical figure, but the birth of peace. Born was the epitome of love ushered into the world. If this is true, then why is there still war, famine, hatred, and suffering? Ah…we must be in a time of waiting once again.

 We seem to be stuck on repeat. We live in a preputial state of anticipation. The grueling cycle of waiting continues. As we wait, suddenly we have a great deal in common with our Jewish siblings and the ancient prophets of old. We wait for the coming Messiah as they once did. This waiting has come to be known as Advent.

While waiting, do not fret. The day is coming when the world will be transformed into all that God desires it to be. For those who have a stake in the status quo, scripture gives warning. If I’m honest, a frightening warning. But for sinners, for the poor, and for the lost, it is the dawning of a long-desired day. I assume we all acknowledge that we are broken and need saving. That’s what makes the coming of Christ good news. Christ’s new arrival will be a joyous day of celebration and restored righteousness.

As disciples of the Christ, the key question is… what are we supposed to do while we wait for Christ to come again? The words of the ancient prophets might be able to shine light on our answer once again. We must bear witness to injustice. We must name the wrongs of this world revealed by how the most vulnerable among us are treated. We must find the courage to be a voice for the voiceless. Our silence will only be complicity with evil.

Thankfully, we do not walk this path alone. We do not wait by ourselves because we have Jesus walking right beside us. After all, no one has blazed a trail that leads us to God better than Christ. It was a road marked with suffering, but eventually, it led to peace. Advent will not last forever. Christmas will arrive. In fact, God arrives day after day, hour after hour. God’s peace is always with us. God is revealed right here, and right now, for all of us.

With anticipation,

Pastor Lucas

Photo by Max Beck