Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God – Matthew 5:9
I have fond memories of children’s Christmas pageants when our kids were retelling this story from Luke 2:10-14, “…the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ 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 favor rests’”.
“Glory to God in the highest heaven…..”, God promises peace to all of His children. What does this mean? For Christians this peace is two-fold. It must start with a personal, trusting relationship with Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The second layer of this two-fold peace, I believe, is about “community” peace. It’s our act of pursuing peace in the world, starting with the most intimate of our relationships and extending to persons coming into our broader circle of interactions with one another.
As we reflect on God’s peace this Advent season, may we be reminded of our role: to actively make peace as we await the fullness of God’s peace through the second Advent of Jesus Christ. How can you help usher in God’s peace this Christmas season? Some ideas might be to set aside extra time for personal devotions, help a busy or overburdened friend, be kind and polite to people we encounter, or provide a meal for a family facing the anxiety of hunger. Our actions should represent the joy we feel from the words of the angels announcing the birth of the Savior.
Consider including the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi to your devotion and prayer time:
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, only joy.