Advent 24 – PEACE
A Message for the Second Sunday in Advent
“Peace out man”
Many might recall, in the late 1960s, there was a counter-cultural movement against the Vietnam
war. In the midst of an unpopular war, people were hoping for peace. The phrase, “peace out” was born out of that movement and was commonly used when someone left a gathering as a, sort of, “good bye” , “see you next time”, “peace” greeting.
The second Sunday in Advent is Peace Sunday, and, while we’re a long way away from the peace
movement of the 60s, we still hope for an ever lasting peace that permeates eternity.
As we turn our focus towards the manger, we are reminded of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” –Isaiah 9:6
Jesus is the Prince of Peace. With Him, in Him, through Him, we can know true peace – a peace that, as Paul writes in Philippians 4:7, “… surpasses all understanding …”.
In 1816, inspired by the poverty, the hunger and the trauma his congregation had experienced after an earlier period of war, Austrian priest, Joseph Mohr, wrote the well known poem, “Stille Nacht”. Later, Stille Nacht was set to music and translated to English.
Today, we know the song as simply, “Silent Night”.
And, the words, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright …”
War is bad, peace is good.
As we continue our journey through this Advent season, looking forward to the arrival of the Prince of Peace, singing songs of peace, praying for a peace that surpasses all understanding, let us also contemplate how we can do our part to bring about peace in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
Peace out!
A Prayer for the Second Sunday in Advent
Heavenly Father, we come to You today to give You thanks. In a world full of chaos that is torn apart by wars and rumors of war, we are reminded of Your love for each of us. We are reminded how You created order out of chaos as You brought this very world into existence. And, we are reminded You sent Your Son into the world, the very one we call “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. In this Advent season, as we journey towards the manger, we pray you would bless us and grant us a sense of peace that surpasses all understanding. And, help us to know how we can bring about peace in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. Thank You, O God. Amen.
