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Lighting a Candle for Peace

What is peace to you . . .
peace of mind, peace
treaty, peace officer, Nobel
Peace Prize, hold your peace,
keep your peace, inner peace,
justice of the peace, Prince of
Peace, rest in peace . . .

We name the second candle in our Advent wreath, Peace. In this season of preparation, we are called this week to make room for peace. Simply by looking at our language it is easy to see that peace is important to us in many different ways. A sense of peace is something we strive for in our relationships, but what exactly does that mean?

We can certainly get along with one another, and still not have peace. When we read our sacred stories, we come to know there is so much more to peace than being calm. I can feel at peace at the end of a day, or when my sermon writing is done, or when our house is in order. That’s a great feeling, but perhaps it sounds a little “all about me!”

Our challenge is to dig a little deeper into the meaning of the kind of peace we are making room for in Advent. To understand more fully what we are being called to create, we must add the word justice to the mix. If we can contribute to just relationships with each other – if we can level the playing field, then we can truly begin paving the way toward justice-peace.

My wish for you this second week of Advent is to feel Embraced in the Quiet Centre of Peace – the kind of peace that encompasses our whole, diverse community. We are all included in that embrace. There is room for all. Let’s move
over and make room.

Peace out!
Nancy