Advent calls us to lean into the wonder of the birth of Christ and the peace He offers.
We are in the second week of Advent and our focus as the “Church,” is supposed to be on peace. The concept seems almost laughable at the moment, with protests and division all around us. I’ve read more than one account of families actually cancelling their Thanksgiving dinners because the rift and division caused by the election was just unbearable.
Now that Christmas is so close, I’ve read that there will be families that follow suit with their Christmas plans too. How did we get here? How did we get to a place where the outcome of a single presidential election becomes more of a focus than all we are thankful for or in this case, the celebration of the birth of Christ?
While the entire idea of families cancelling Christmas, parents not seeing their children, grandparents not seeing their grandchildren, families intentionally choosing to embrace bitterness and division just baffles me, I don’t know why I’m surprised.
Jesus said “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” John 10:10
That sounds kind of like what’s going on with families being torn apart. Destruction is not Jesus’ mantra, but it is Satan’s.
Isaiah 9:6 is probably one of the most quoted verses during Advent. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Counselor, Prince of Peace.”
And there it is. During Advent, Christians are reminded that we are supposed to be preparing our hearts for the arrival of the Prince of Peace. There will still be strife and division. We live in a broken world and on this side of Heaven, there will always be tears and mourning at one time or another.
But, the Prince of Peace offers us a different kind of peace, the peace that settles deep in our hearts and souls and simply cannot be shaken by anything of this world, not sickness, not loss, not even death, and certainly not from the outcome of an election.
Christmas is a time when we are called to lean in very close to that baby in the manger and reflect in awe on His birth and what it means to all of us. We are to reflect on the skies full of angels praising His name. We are called to remember that because of that baby a time will come when, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4
This year we need Christmas more than ever. We need the young virgin and her story, and the shepherds and theirs, and the three wise men, and all of the angels involved.
But, perhaps most of all, we need to remember that even though man made no room for God, He came anyway. He will always find a way. Perhaps you needed reminding today.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂