Nobody likes to drive too long in a rough terrain. It is uncomfortable and tiring. It can give us body pains and even nausea in some cases. If you have been on a ship or a boat in high waves, you would feel such symptoms. We all like a smooth sailing. We would think that if God could remove some of the uncertainties in life, we would be much happier. That is not really true because life would become boring and less challenging. That would lead to a culture of lawlessness, and evil will flourish just as happened to Sodom and Gomorrah. As Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt, (died in 373AD) said, "they gradually pressing forward, have passed on beyond all measure: having to begin with been inventors of wickedness and called down upon themselves death and corruption; while later on, having turned aside to wrong and exceeding all lawlessness, and stopping at no one evil but devising all manner of new evils in succession, they have become insatiable in sinning. For there were adulteries everywhere and thefts, and the whole earth was full of murders and plunderings. And as to corruption and wrong, no heed was paid to law, but all crimes were being practiced everywhere, both individually and jointly. Cities were at war with cities, and nations were rising up against nations; and the whole earth was rent with civil commotions and battles; each man vying with his fellows in lawless deeds."
Jesus came to this world to bring peace in the midst of chaos and lawlessness. Jesus said, "blessed are the peace makers for they will be called the children of God." The scene in Luke’s Gospel of the birth of Jesus is a hectic situation. It’s not just hectic because of the multitude of characters involved. It is also hectic because it involves the collision of multiple and diverse scenes into this singular moment in time: the census that caused a young couple to travel a great distance across deserts and mountains on the week of their child’s birth; the “no vacancy” sign at the only inn in town; the shepherds terrified by the angel of the Lord appearing and speaking out of the night sky; the heavenly host praising God; and the child being born in a stable and laid to recover from the birth experience on a bed of hay in a manger, surrounded by his parents, animals, and curious and overwhelmed shepherds.
Many people are afraid of car washes. They get anxious, they check and recheck the windows and hold their breath during a car wash. One such man writes, “Powers beyond my control began moving my car forward as if on a conveyor belt. There I was, cocooned inside, when a thunderous rush of water, soap, and brushes hit my car from all directions. What if I get stuck in here or water crashes in?" Turbulence makes us nervous. We are all going through a car wash experience with this pandemic. We are afraid when this conveyor belt situation will move forward. We are mostly cocooned inside when news of deaths and tragedies like the brush of storm hitting us daily from all directions. People have lost jobs, homes and businesses. Children are at a loss with their schooling as they struggle to adjust with online, or hybrid system of education. The number of teens being admitted in the hospitals for psychiatric and psychological care at an all time high. Suicides among the young adults are happening at an alarming rate. Church gatherings and social events are almost non existent. We all feel like a victim of forces beyond our control like the “car-wash experiences”
Then add the holiday stress in the middle of these, we get a perfect storm. How do we find peace and rest in the middle of this? The holiday season and the days of New Year are the most stressful season of the year for many people. The holidays present a dizzying array of demands — parties, shopping, baking, cleaning and entertaining, to name just a few. It often brings unwelcome and unhealthy guests — stress and depression. Those are the two guests that you don't want at a time like this. The celebration of the coming of the Prince of peace has become the season without peace for many.
Then we have the political chaos that knows no end. No matter how much we try, the world is becoming more and more polarized. There are global neighbors who are at odds with each other more than ever in recent history. There can be a war at any time as we have seen in history during such an environment. The church is also in a precarious and fragile state as we struggle to find a way to maintain unity while recognizing our ever-increasing diversity as we live into the reality of being a global church. So the reality is, this Christmas, some families may be gathering for the holidays with unresolved feelings and very different opinions about these outcomes and what they may mean for the future. There could be tension around the table in many households, tension in the wider community, and tension as we gather as congregations to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in our sanctuaries on Christmas.The reality is that our community is not just liberals or conservatives, Catholics or Protestants. We are messengers of peace right in the middle of this difficult situation of unresolved feelings, diverse opinions, religious and political differences, holiday tension, and friends sitting alongside foes. We become a sign of peace born into the world.
Childbirth is always hectic. Giving birth is not a peaceful or pleasurable event, after all. It is violent and messy and painful and frightening. And yet, in the aftermath, there is a newborn baby, swaddled in soft blankets and gently laid in your waiting arms. When you gaze upon the face of your newborn baby, you forget about the many painful months, weeks, days, and hours that preceded the moment. You forget about the sacrifices you made. You put it all behind you and simply concentrate on the incredible peace that you feel. After the violence of a birth, there is a quiet and peace that happens. There is joy, contentment and relief.
Out of the frenzy and turmoil of the world situation, the political process, and the holiday season, comes a sign of peace. The birth of Jesus, His existence, His life and teachings, His death and resurrection and His promise to come again are the signs of hope for peace. The message of advent season is a divine communication from God to all people. It is a promise that there is hope for the world. The good news is that on this day, in the city of David, a Savior was born. He is the Messiah, the Lord, the Prince of Peace.
Peace is not the absence of problems. If that is the case, peace will be elusive. If we plan on having peace after all these events are over, you will never find peace. Unlike the car wash, that will come to a stop, life’s storms are never ending. There is no time without problem. The Bible teaches that peace is the presence of God in the midst of trouble. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Jesus promised that He will be with us in the middle of it. At the birth of Christ, the angels appeared to the shepherds and proclaimed the news of peace on earth to all. That is the good news of great joy. The message of advent is that the prince of peace has promised to bring peace in the middle of our troubles. "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (Luke 2:14)
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