Advent Devotional Week 2 – Peace

Seeking Peace, Offering Peace

Monday, December 9

By Steve Richardson

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Read: Luke 1:67-79

Angels proclaimed to the shepherds, “Peace on earth…”

Hmmm? Realizing century after century of war, since that Bethlehem night, will that ever happen? Can it ever happen as long as freewill-driven mortals have dominion over the earth?

Even on a personal, individual level, thieves of peace are always lurking: Stress, pain, fear, uncertainty, guilt, separation, deadlines (just to name a few).

Despite all this, faith and prophecy give us confidence that peace spanning the earth and among all people is inevitable, when God’s ultimate will for all creation is done. In one of this week’s lectionary readings, Luke recorded Zechariah’s (father of John the Baptist) pronouncement that echoed prophets before him and foretold later Biblical writers: “…the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

In the meantime, until these things happen, each of us knows moments of inner spiritual peace. Thank God for that! Some of the ways we find that spiritual peace include:

Reading scripture and sacred writings

Prayer and meditation

Worship

Interacting with nature

Quiet time

Movement and exercise

Playing or listening to music

Creating or contemplating art

For ourselves, all these are fine ways to find peace. But what about extending peace to others? What about living out acts of peace? These are some good starting points: Forgiveness, compassion, inclusivity, respectfulness, justice, kindness and benevolence.

This Advent season, this Christmas and this coming new year, consider giving yourself special gifts: Peace through acts of helping others. It’s one of those harmonious win-win-win expressions of kingdom living – a way to love God, to help our neighbors and to experience spiritual peace for yourself.

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Prayer

Lord of peace, for the peace we pray for, give us the grace to labor for.*

*With gratitude to Sir Thomas More for this prayer