By Chaz Snider
Peace can be elusive. Whether in our personal life or the political world, peace often feels momentary, fleeting, or temporary. It can feel like we need to hold onto peace when we have it because we know it will be gone soon or it may seem like peace is solely based on external circumstances. But, we are invited by God’s redemptive story into a deeper understanding and experience of peace.
In Luke’s gospel, we find the first words Zechariah speaks after God restores his capacity to speak. His words are reminiscent of the Hebrew prophets, reminding God's people of God's faithfulness, goodness and mercy. As he closes, he speaks of a new dawn that will, "guide our feet into the way or peace." That way of peace is greater than our external situations, greater than our daily pressures, and stronger than our deepest conflicts. The way of peace Zechariah speaks of is an internal reality that holds fast in the midst of external chaos.
But we are still left with the question of where does this peace come from? To wrestle with this question we can turn to Paul's words to the Philippians. Here, from prison, Paul writes about Christ as his source of confidence, his center point of peace. And like Paul, Christ remains our source of real lasting peace. So this time of advent can remind us that it was God stepping into our world of human experience that forged new and lasting ways of peace.
Sign up now to receive Covenant's Daily Advent Devotional via email.
No comments:
Post a Comment