And World Peace
Miss Congeniality is unapologetically one of my very favorite movies of all time. It is one of those movies that my mom, my sister, and I find ourselves quoting to one another on a fairly regular basis. One of the funniest parts of the movie is when “Gracie Lou Freebush” undercover FBI agent Gracie Hart has to participate in the interview portion of the Miss United States beauty pageant. As the film shares clips of several of the contestants answering their question the response is always the same:
“World Peace”, “World Peace”, “Oh that’s easy, world peace”
That is until Gracie gets her turn. She actually provides an answer that she feels answers the question, however, she is met with silence until she adds “And World Peace” to the end of her response.
I have always found that part of the movie amusing because the idea of “world peace” truly does seem like a foreign concept. For as long as I can remember there have been soldiers at war in one place or another, we have studied countless battles and conflicts dating back to the time when Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden and Cain took action against his brother Abel. World peace, at least in the way that it has been portrayed, seems more like a pipe dream than an actual possibility.
Peace
When you look up the word peace on dictionary.com there are several different definitions that pop up.
“A state of tranquility or quite”
“Freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions”
“A harmony in personal relationships”
Several of those definitions have subcategories that often link back to a relationship between a people and their government. The idea of peace is that there is no civil, political, religious, or any other type of unrest among everyone. This is what the Israelite people were waiting and watching for as they prepared for the coming Messiah.
Peace in the Bible
The word peace is found anywhere between 250 and 450 times in the Bible depending on what translation you are reading. Biblical peace is a peace that goes far beyond the ideals of the ending of governmental unrest. True Biblical peace is rest and tranquil faith in the good times and in the bad. In the easy days and in those days you are just doing good to get out of bed and put your clothes on the right direction.
Biblical peace guards our hearts, provides deep joy despite our circumstances, assists us in times we are struggling, and is a blessing when we learn how to truly lean in and embrace this peace that only God can give.
Jesus is Our Peace
This time of advent is a time of reflection. It’s a time to soak in the wonder that was the birth of Christ. Luke tells of the announcement of Jesus’ arrival as well as that of his cousin, John. In both of these stories the most unlikely of mothers are chosen. It would be easy to see how both Elizabeth and Mary would give into anxieties, fears, and possibly even anger at these miraculous announcements but instead they rested in the peace and perfection in the God they served.
Jesus brought peace in ways that were not what the people were expecting. The Jewish people were waiting for a revolution, a rebellion against the Roman government but instead Jesus provided something different. Jesus brought peace with ourselves and peace with others. He provided us our assurance of salvation and he provided us unity with other believers. He gave us all one common goal: spread His love and His message to the world.
This year has continued to be filled with questions and uncertainty. This season, rather than focus on the questions and the unknowns, take some time to focus on the peace that God provides through the birth of his Son. Be reminded that the world’s definition of peace and God’s definition of peace aren’t the same thing.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the peace you provide. It is no secret that we are living in what many have called unprecedented and uncertain times, but we know that we can have a peace of certainty that You are on the throne and You have all things under control. As we reflect on the peace that Christ brought when he was born we are humbled that You loved enough to provide the ultimate gift, a gift we don’t deserve and a gift we can not earn. This advent season help us to reflect on the peace that the season brings rather than focusing on the fast paced race of the season.
Scriptures to Reflect on this Season about the Peace We Have in Christ