CREDIT: Pixabay.com
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In this hyper-busy world, things can get a little amped up this time of year with all the extra things that come with the Christmas season. Many of us over-do it in one way or another – and I don’t exempt myself from this observation! That’s one reason the practice of Advent can be a helpful thing to do. Advent allows us to take a minute to … slow down … refocus … get … some … peace.
Advent is a season of waiting for the coming of Christ and the peace He brings. This peace is a special kind of peace called “Shalom,” a Hebrew word that means “unity, complete contentedness, tranquility” with respect to God. It’s much more than an “absence of conflict.” It’s as Paul writes to the Philippians, “the peace that surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)
When God created all things, peace was the norm. There was no conflict. Everything worked as God intended – think of a bicycle wheel that spins freely, quietly, and endlessly. Then, on that fateful day that Adam and Eve entered a conflict with God, sin, like dirt getting thrown into perfectly aligned bicycle wheel bearings, entered the world. Ever since, true peace has become illusive.
However, God still desires for that perfect peace to be the norm for all His creation. God, through His prophet Malachi, assures us of this, “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6) This is good news for all of us as God’s steadfast love for Jacob extends to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit, received in baptism, we are able to repent of our sins. Then God ends the hostility we have with Him, forgiving our sins, restoring peace between us and Him.
We’re Advent people, waiting Jesus’s return. Waiting for Him to bring us into Shalom, true peace in His new creation, the kingdom of God. Let’s live … in … this … assurance of … peace.
In God’s Peace,
Pastor Jim