Advent Peace

The advent candle that was lit on Sunday morning was the candle of peace. I didn't remember that on my own. It was woven through the theme of the family service. The virtue was peace and the definition we recited with our children was, "proving you care more about someone than winning an argument." In our family discussion about peace we discover how unpeaceful we feel because things haven't gone the way we hoped and how often our response in those situations is to set things right, our right. We are more concerned with ourselves than in seeing what is going on in the other person.

The Christmas story demonstrates this kind of giving up. This kind of seeing things through in love right to the cross.

We hear "that on the first Christmas God, through the angels, sent the message of peace to the shepherds. That message has been passed on through the ages until one day the message of peace was passed on to you."

The simple message overwhelmed, like stepping out into the cold on a minus 30 winter day. It was in that moment that time froze but my eyes thawed and puddled. I was overcome with immense gratitude.

Thank you God!

Thank you for sending the Message.

Thank you for my Mom and Dad and for their faithfulness to God to pass on this message of peace.

Thank you for how the message changes moments, changes lives.

The children sang the message, "For unto us a child is born. Unto us, a Son is given. And His name shall be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace."

I think it's their naive presentation of something so amazing that makes the simple, sophisticated (Da Vinci). In their adorable, exuberant, beautiful and bashful way, they represent all of us speaking of things we don't yet understand, of living in ways we know and believe to be right but having no capacity on our own to get it right. They represent us, our journey and our need for a Saviour.

They remind me that this message of peace isn't meant to be hidden or contained. It is to shine brightly and be shared generously.