By I don’t know about you but right now some peace would be nice. All around we hear people arguing and fighting. We have constant changes in what we can or cannot do based on decisions of others and it may seem like a whirlwind of chaos all around us. Yet, in the midst of this, this is the week we turn our hearts towards peace.
I imagine that when the shepherds heard the angels proclaim “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” that they were confused. Peace, this was something that was probably not common to them either. They were living in a time filled with oppression. They did not have peace, but probably dreamed of something like peace, where they would no longer have their Roman oppressors and could live without fear.
There is a part of an old Christmas Hymn “I Heard The Bell on Christmas Day” where I feel as though maybe some of us relate. Where the author Henry Wadworth Longfellow writes the words that many of us may feel in this season. Where in the midst of all the wrong that had gone wrong in his life, that maybe there was no peace to be found.
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
However in the midst of this, the very next verse he is reminded to hope for more. He is reminded of who God is and that PEACE will come. For some of us maybe we need to be reminded of this verse of the song.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
This week, we light the peace candle. That centering and grounding act in which we pull ourselves out of all of the other thoughts and refocus on something more positive. In the midst of the chaos that will probably continue throughout the holiday season. We take this week to hold on to peace. I encourage you to find something to remind you to focus on this in the next week. Below is a video of one of my favorite versions of this song.
