December 5, 2021

 First Sunday of Peace

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.               Isaiah 9:6

Peace…a quality of life or a state of existence that so many people long for. Whether it’s an internal, personal state of being or an external, relational approach, it seems more elusive in our world than ever. 

Of all the titles by which Jesus Christ is known, the one with which I resonate most strongly is Prince of Peace.  Growing up with parents who came from the Mennonite tradition, one of the so-called historic Peace Churches, the topic was taken very seriously in our home.  It was discussed fairly regularly, especially as we grew older, often in response to issues that arose in school, church, or Sunday School—around the dinner table, or one-on-one with my father. 

What did it mean to be a peacemaker, to turn the other cheek, to live peaceably?  What did it mean to follow Jesus’ teachings and example?  How did one’s personal beliefs intersect with the responsibilities of living in a democratic society (both my parents’ families had fled the brutal, totalitarian regime of Stalin’s Soviet Union to find refuge and safety in Canada)? What were one’s choices when belonging to the Kingdom of God clashed with the demands of being a Canadian citizen? These were not just theoretical questions but questions that determined one’s actions in everyday life.

These questions remain depressingly relevant in contemporary life. Conflicts rage at international, national, and personal levels.

Yet on that quiet hillside over two millennia ago, in a tiny country that was controlled by a dominant foreign power, angels declared at the birth of a baby born to humble parents, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours!” [Luke 2:14, NRSV] Was this just an empty hope? 

And yet Jesus himself assured his faithful followers not long before he died, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” [John 14: 27, NRSV] Jesus faced the broken state of the world realistically, yet courageously and hopefully, and invited his followers—including us—to do the same, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” [John 16: 33, NIV]

What conversations about peace will you have in your homes and with your families this coming Advent? Might such conversations lead to a deeper understanding of what it means to follow Jesus Christ in our present world with confidence and peace—both in our relationships with others and in our hearts?

Prayer: Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you. [Paul’s benediction to the Church at Thessalonica, 2 Thess. 3:16, NRSV]

Carol Anne Janzen is a Christian educator who finds joy in listening to Vivaldi, gardening, reading (especially British mysteries), and traditional rug-hooking.