Advent - Peace

When we think of the word 'peace' we generally think of the absence of war.  When world leaders hold peace talks, it is to try and solve the problems that are behind a particular situation where opposing sides are fighting, usually with deadly weapons.  It seems that there is always a war situation somewhere in the world at any given moment in time; the world is constantly having to tolerate the devastation and knock-on effects caused by conflict.  Can we hope amid all the killings that occur daily, that at this Christmas time there can indeed be peace on earth? 

Of course peace is not only the absence of war and conflict.  I guess most young parents with small children who are healthy, active and boisterous look at their offspring lovingly but sigh 'Oh for some peace and quiet.'  Peace for them is not the cessation of hostilities but a few moments of silence and tranquility, usually when the children have gone to bed exhausted after all their activity during the day.  Or who looks at the sunrise or sunset over still water or a country scene and doesn't get a sense of peace and tranquility?

Above our front door at our home we have the word 'Shalom', which is a Hebrew word meaning 'Peace'.  In Hebrew, however, it has a much wider and deeper meaning than just what we understand as peace.  It is a form of greeting, either of welcome or of farewell but means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.  It has a sense of wholeness, completeness, contentedness, well-being and harmony.  So the greeting the angels gave was more than peace.  They said, 'Peace and goodwill to all men'.  That includes completeness, health, safety, fulness, rest, absence of discord.  

Jesus came as God's answer to a troubled world that had lost its way.  He came as a baby who with his parents had to flee as refugees to Egypt from the fear of death at the hands of a despotic ruler.  After returning to Nazareth as a young child, he lived all his life in a country that was invaded and controlled by the mighty, imperialistic force of Rome. It seems that in 2000 years not a lot has changed in the way that humans treat each other.  Yet Jesus says that he leaves us his sort of peace, not as the world gives but a different kind of peace, a deeper, fuller, complete peace.  It might seem very difficult, if not impossible to imagine peace in the world today but maybe if I follow his teachings, then maybe I can bring peace and harmony in the spheres in which I live and move.  Shalom is more about connectedness, completion and harmony, where everything fits right together.  All creation is connected to each other and to God.  We all have his DNA in our being.  He breathed his life into all of creation.  It is his will that we should all be one in him, living and sharing together, making the world whole.  Jesus came as God's answer to the problems of the world.  His ways are still God's answer.  Peace and goodwill to all this Christmas and always.  Shalom.