Advent - Peace

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. -Isaiah 9:6

Happy advent, BFJN family. As you hopefully have seen we are spending our blog time this December meditating on the 4 themes of advent – Hope, Peace, Joy & Love. The season of advent is a beautiful space to anticipate, to wait for the world-altering moment that is God-with-us. The Church has been celebrating advent since the 300s and there is rich tradition we can learn from. We wanted to lean into this and look more deeply at the traditional themes assigned to each week of advent, Last week Andrew shared some great insights and thoughts on hope as an advent concept in his blog. This week the theme is peace. The Christmas season can sometimes seem calculated to keep us as busy and stressed as possible . Our schedules get so hectic. We tend to spend a lot of time and money on our holiday preparations and celebrations. In 2022 Americans spent almost one trillion dollars for gifts, parties and food over the December holidays (according to Gallup). According to a study by Harvard Medical over 62% of Americans report elevated stress around the holidays. In this season Peace feels elusive. Maybe it is something we think we can find once the craziness of the holidays subsides. But what if we could seek and find peace amidst the madness? What if our advent could be characterized by the cultivation and practice of peace? First let’s define what we mean by peace. In the Isaiah verse above the English word

peace

in prince of

peace

(Jesus) is translated from the Hebrew word Shalom. Shalom is not generally meant only to describe a calm or the absence of conflict. It is completeness, welfare, wholeness. This peace includes our traditional conception the lack of violence but it is more. Dr. Martin Luther King described peace as not simply the absence of tension but the presence of justice. This is shalom. Unpacking fully the implications and meaning of Shalom in the scripture and applying it to our world could be the subject of an entire blog series, or book, or PhD program but this basic understanding of its meaning – wholeness - should suffice for us to consider peace during advent. I think that as we anticipate the arrival of the prince of shalom we can and should be intentional about seeking shalom for ourselves and others. Shalom means resisting the acquisitive consumerism that can characterize this season. It doesn’t have to mean we don’t give gifts (I love giving and receiving presents!) but might mean we give less or just buy less and give more of ourselves (babysitting coupons anyone?). It doesn’t have to mean no parties – even though I am a devoted introvert I love a good Christmas party but maybe we don’t say yes to everything and we focus our activities on building and nourishing relationships. Shalom means being intentional about tending to our minds, spirits and bodies – seeking wholeness as part of our advent practice not something we put off until after. What would intentionally seeking wholeness for you and yours mean this advent season?

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33