Month: December 2015

In the Christmas story, we are told of the angel Gabriel making a trip to see Zechariah and Mary. We are told of Mary going to visit Elizabeth, and later going to Bethlehem with Joseph. We are told of the angels going to visit the shepherds. We are told of the shepherds going to Bethlehem. There is the tradition of the magi, the wise men, traveling for months if not years to visit Jesus. We are told of Mary and Joseph taking the infant Jesus to Egypt. There is lots of travel and movement in these stories. They are making trips. They are going from one place to another.

And that is really what Christmas asks of us. That is what the gospel asks of us. That is what peace asks of us. We are being urge to move, to make a journey, from one mind set to another. From one lifestyle to another. From one perspective to another.

The New Testament talks about faith as becoming a new person altogether. A new creation. Gaining a new identity. It can be hard to leave the familiar behind. Even if it’s not everything we had hoped for. Christmas invites us to make our way to a new place. A place of peace and good will. A place of hope and joy.

Can you think of a time when a trip of some kind has influenced your thinking in new ways?

Prayer: May we not be afraid to leave the comfort of the familiar to follow the path of peace to new destinations. The horizon beckons. The way may be long. We are grateful for our companions on the journey. Amen.

What is peace? The word for peace used in the Hebrew portion of the Bible is a comprehensive term which includes well-being, wholeness, justice, right relationship, safety, and security. It implies having food to eat and a safe home and a caring community where there is no threat of harm.

The word for peace in the Christian portion of the Bible which was written in Greek is more narrow. The original meaning really implies cessation of hostility. So, not being in imminent danger or direct threat. The end of war or conflict. That was considered peace. But in the New Testament, the references to peace include so much more than that. The concept is more comprehensive like the understanding in the Hebrew Bible. The New Testament also highlights peace as serenity and peace of mind as well as well-being in outward circumstances.

Wonder-Full peace simply radiates beyond the idea of no direct imminent threat of danger or the ending of open violence and hostility. Peace yearns to be comprehensive and expansive. Of course, ceasing violence and war is an important part of the journey to peace but that is a step, not the destination.

It has been very disappointing to hear the bellicose rhetoric of the candidates who are seeking the nomination for president of the US. There is so much talk of fighting here and there, building walls for defense and protection, sending drones and troops, taunting with no fly zones, etc. It doesn’t sound like the glorious, encompassing Biblical vision of peace. In fact, it doesn’t even sound like the cessation of open hostility. It sounds like the ramping up of violence and conflict and war.

How we need this Christmas season. We need the star to stop us in our tracks like a deer in the headlights and get us to pursue new directions. We need the angels to sing and remind us of the glory which covers the whole Earth and all its people. We need the lowing animals to disarm our arrogant posturing. We need the baby’s cry to demand our attention and redirect our energies. We need this season, with all of it’s music and stories and images to remind us of the glories of peace.

Think of a time when you truly felt at peace. What was that like for you? How can you experience more of that sense of peace? How can more people in the world feel that way?

Prayer: May our visions of peace lead us in new directions. May our commitment to peace transform us. May our experience of peace sustain us. Amen.

In the poetic Christmas story of the Gospel of Luke, we are told that the angels sang to the shepherds announcing “Peace on Earth, good will to all.” At the Advisors meeting last week, this verse came up in the course of the discussion. Yes, the Advisors are the ones who are responsible for the church finances, property, personnel, etc. But sometimes Christmas creeps in to things, especially at this time of year!

The brief discussion was about good will and peace. One thought is that when there is peace, there can be good will. The idea is that peace is needed for people to be able to treat one another with good will. I’ve been thinking about that. If peace is a prerequisite for good will, then we may never get to the good will.

What if good will is thought of separately from peace? Can we be people of good will with or without peace? I think we can. I think we see in Jesus someone of good will regardless of the circumstances and we are called to be like him. Jesus did not live in a time of peace. And he himself had many personal enemies who eventually succeeded in having him killed. And yet he remained a person of good will even up to forgiving the people who were responsible for his crucifixion.

I think we are called to be people of good will at all times and in all circumstances. And maybe that will contribute to the emergence of more peace in ourselves and in the world.

Can you think of a time when you responded to antagonism or hostility with love?

Prayer: We live in difficult times. Sometimes we may be afraid to reach out to others with generosity of spirit as well as wealth. Sometimes we may be afraid to pursue forgiveness and reconciliation. Sometimes we may leave the olive branch at home in a vase instead of presenting it to an “enemy.” May we free ourselves from fear by extending good will to all. Amen.

I’m sure you have seen a picture of a child with Santa and the child looks anything but happy. The child may look confused. Or scared. Or curious. What about this stranger? This Santa? This old looking white haired man with a beard?

That description almost sounds like the traditional portrayal of the image of God. An old white man with a beard. This portrayal of God resembles Santa in other ways. People may think about God dispensing blessings like Santa proffering gifts. A cure to this address. A good grade at that school. A new job at this house. A baby to that home.

And what about naughty or nice? That’s the classic criteria for the bestowal of gifts by Santa. And, when we think about it, that can also be seen as the criteria used by the traditional version of God. If you are good, God blesses you and makes your life good. If you are bad, God will cause you suffering and trouble. Be good and heaven awaits. Be bad, and it’s to the gates of hell with you! Just like a parent using the carrot, “Be good so Santa brings you what you want.” Or the stick: “If you’re not good, Santa will fly over our house.” So, the traditional version of God has been used to gain cooperation from people. It has been used for control. We see this not only in Christianity, but in other religions as well.

If we are made in the image of God, then this kind of God breeds humans who are judgmental; who try to control others with the promise of favor or punishment and who take matters into their own hands. The beautiful verse in Luke’s Christmas story promises “Glory to God in high heaven! And on earth, peace to those on whom God’s favor rests.” Who gets to decide upon whom God’s favor rests? God? Yes, but who is the human arbiter?

In the news recently we learn of a Modesto, California pastor who was accidentally shot by his firearms safety instructor during class. Can we say this is God punishing the pastor for having a gun when a pastor should be following the anti-violent dictates of Jesus? No. That’s crazy, too.

The scenario of naughty and nice, blessed and cursed, favored and not favored, is a recipe for conflict and contention, like sibling rivalry in a family. It is not a set up for Wonder-Full Peace: Peace among people or between humanity and God.

It’s interesting that we don’t see the Santa version of God from Jesus. In the stories we have from Jesus, we see a God that heals whoever asks. A God that feeds all the people – no questions asked. A God that seeks out those who are lost and forgives whether they ask for it or not. The gospels show us a God with arms open to all raining blessings upon all.

We are right to question the version of God rewarding some and punishing others. We are right to question the image of God as an old looking white haired man with a beard. That version of God has spawned oppression, sexism, and racism. We should be confused or scared by that image of God. That image is not a God of peace and that is not the God of Jesus. Jesus shows us that God’s favor rests upon all people.

Give some thought to how you would describe “God” to someone who has never heard the word before.

Prayer: We pray that our God is as generous and forgiving as the God of Jesus. We pray that our God is vast and mysterious enough to encompass all people in love. Then our God will truly be a God of Wonder-Full peace. Amen.