Peace on Earth

So, a few weeks ago I was not in a great place. Things were going on in life and I was hurting and stressed and confused. My mom and I went for a walk and I decided to ask her a deep question. This was right after the terrorist attacks in Paris and I asked my mom (the Pastor): "What's the point? What is the point of living on this earth when so many bad things are happening? Why do we even bother? If heaven is so great, why don't we just go now?" 

She gave me the good Pastoral answer that this is life. We're meant to be here and to bring God's message to other people. We're suppose to be hopeful. But I admit, her answer didn't stay with me. I wasn't in the right place in my life to hear what she was telling me. 

Fast forward to Christmas Eve. Austin and I went to the 11:00 p.m. candlelit service at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. We left Jacob back at his aunt and uncle's soundly asleep. At this point in my life, I was in a better place than I was a few weeks ago. I also can't tell you the last time I was able to go to a church service without a two and a half year old!  

The message that Christmas Eve night? 

Peace.

I want to share to you some of my thoughts throughout this service. Because it had been a while since I had gotten so much out of the message. I want to share with you because there were things that I needed to hear. That I needed to understand. And maybe you do too.

Living in Smalltown, Midwest, USA - even with access to social media and the internet - you sometimes get caught up in just this small little world around you. You forget that there is so much more out there. You forget that there are people all over the world experiencing life in different ways. So at the beginning of this church service, they walked in flags from countries all over the world. And I thought "how amazing that there are other Christians in all of these other countries and tonight, we are all connected by the same story. The same baby boy that came to earth." Have you thought about that? The number of people celebrating His birth all over the world? The traditions might be different. The story will sound different in different tongue. But it is all about the same baby boy. Jesus. 

Isaiah 9:6-7 We listened to this in Arabic. In Spanish. In German. And in English. All the same story. 

So here are my notes from that night. Because I feel like the one thing this world needs right now is Peace. And while during Christmas we often say "Peace on Earth" - what does that mean? How do we accomplish that? I am just one person. 

"And he will be called Prince of Peace" This baby, this tiny newborn baby, is a prince of peace. Jesus is peace. "Those that walk in the dark, will see a bright light." (Isaiah 9:2) Jesus is that light. We have peace in Jesus. 

God saw what His creation needed, so he stepped in. We needed peace. God sent us Jesus. God gave us the ultimate gift: the gift of peace. 

Think about what led the shepherds and the wise men to the stable. What will lead you to the stable? What will lead you to the manager? What will lead you to Jesus? To recognize God's gift to us? God's love? God's peace? What will it take? 

If we let Him, God will renew our hope. God will renew our peace. If we let Him. 

But the chaos (in our world) keeps spinning... why? Is it that we aren't letting God in? 

Peace is to live at rest. God offers us His gift of peace. All we need need to do is accept. We have hope that is rooted in God's promise to us. Our hope is rooted in a God that shows up. That offers us His peace. He shows up. Will we open the door? 

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Good will make a way. God is with us. Emmanuel - God with us.  

The best each of us can do is to allow God's peace in our life. 
Show God's peace to other people. 
Treat each life the gift it is, a gift from God.
Share God's peace to others. 

If we do that, if we shine with God's light and God's peace, we will bring peace to this world. If each person does that, God's peace will spread over this whole world. Peace with God is possible. 

The celebration of Christmas: Peace. Life. Love. Joy. 

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head:
'There is no peace on earth, ' I said
'For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.'

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.'

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men. 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  

The last thought I had that night, as the candles danced all around me during Silent Night, was of Christmas lights. Lights from God, of God. Lights in the darkness. Jacob thinks that the Christmas lights look like birthday candles: Happy Birthday Jesus.