The Path to Christ
The Candle of PEACE
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near ..."
(Matthew 3:2)
Peace ... Repentance ... What in the world do they have to do with one another? More than you might imagine.
When I think of peace, an image often pops into my mind, especially during this time of year. I envision a deep, dark winter’s night, with tiny stars piercing the black expanse. I picture soft, white snow falling silently onto the ground. I hear nothing, that perfect winter-stillness that defies any earthly description. Then the faint notes of one of my favorite Christmas carols begin to swell, “Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright …” To me, that’s the definition – the feeling – of peace.
Some might think of peace in terms of war, the cessation of terrible fighting, of two sides coming together in reconciliation. Peace could be defined as the absence of conflict, of struggle, of hostility. And in today’s culture, with news of the Middle East and terrorism relentlessly pounding our TV’s and computers and radio broadcasts, peace is something that is desperately needed … and seems so desperately elusive.
Yet is this how God defines peace?
Peace – true Peace – is far more than any of these elements. Peace is being in a right relationship with God, walking in His Light on the Path to Christ, so intimately linked that you cannot have one without the other. Everything else is an after-effect of this relationship – the fruit born of this bond.
How do we obtain this Peace? John the Baptist tells us boldly that you cannot have that true Peace without true repentance. And that’s what Advent is all about – as we prepare our hearts for the coming of our Savior, this preparation requires repentance, of confessing that Darkness that has tugged on our sleeves, that has drawn us in, that has tried to swallow us up. Last week as we began our Advent journey on this Path to Christ, we took our first steps in the Light of Christ with a tremendous amount of Hope. But those steps can only continue if we repent of our sins.
And in doing so, we will then experience this true Peace that God wants to freely give to us. Our relationship with God will be made right, and from this will come right relationships with one another. Because of the Light of Christ, of this tiny infant who came to earth for us and who promises to come again, we have Hope … and we have Peace!
(Second meditation for church bulletin)
No comments:
Post a Comment