Peace on Earth

Advent Day #15

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace,
good will toward men. Luke 2:13-14

Peace on earth—most people desire that wars cease, and love conquer hate. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem, turned into a song, details the anguish of such juxtaposition. The Christmas bells pealed peace while war raged, and death claimed so many souls. His deep grief is resolved with his faith that God will prevail in the song’s final stanza, “I Heard the Bells.”

“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.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Sadly, every person’s heart desires to have its own way. Selfishness weaves itself into the fabric of our lives from the womb. The very selflessness of Jesus, however, begins in the womb of Mary and continues from the manger to the cross, to His surrender to three days in the tomb, and to His ascension back to Heaven. Everything about the life of Jesus preaches selflessness. He did not come to teach us peace, He became our peace. His sacrifice of selflessness reconciled man back to God because of His love. His forgiveness was paid for by His own blood. His long-suffering still waits for everyone who will repent and be saved. His life is the pattern for His followers and marks them as ambassadors who still demonstrate His peace.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1 John 4:9-11

The lack of peace on earth demonstrates that it is still in need of the Prince of Peace. The honking and screaming in parking lots belies the selfishness still reigning in the hearts of men. Impatience and frustration threaten riots in the shopping malls. The world needs peace now more than ever before. For those of us who have experienced His peace, Christmas is the best time of the year to not only demonstrate His peace but also to share how others can experience His peace too!