Four words have defined Advent for centuries: Love, peace, joy, and hope. Each week I’ll turn one of those words to a prayer to bring meaning to the Christmas season. Today in our Advent Psalm: Finding Elusive Peace in a Season of Strife we beseech God for the peace Jesus promised his disciples.
Lord of Light:
Christmas lights bloom around us like spring flowers.
Yellow, red, green, magenta, and blue, bulbs mimic starlight,
Transforming our houses—inside and out—from winter drudgery to spring-like hope.
As if, once again, heaven lowered itself to earth.
These Christmas lights, just like the star of the first Advent,
Promise peace. But they are faux stars.
The peace they pledge is elusive, flicking on and off.
Delightfully they shine, these false prophets.
Rather than clam our hearts, they quicken
The ticking of the clock.
They rush the Advent calendar.
They demand hurried shopping, cooking, wrapping.
Prince of Peace:
Jesus said he did not give peace as our lights
Our decorations, our commercial preparations
Give peace, ultimately a frustrating, faulty light string.
His peace does not dazzle, delight, and fizzle.
Ignite in us a desire for your peace
Let these mere reflections point us through the dark
And into your brilliant peace that passes understanding,
Your peace that its not dependent on electricity or seasons.
Giving God:
Give us living peace
That emanates from each heart beat of your Son.
Give us a peace that infiltrates the dark
With light and hope.
Amen
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From now through Christmas I will be writing on Words of Advent. The four words are the ones we traditionally pair with the lighting of Advent Candles: Love, Peace, Joy, and Hope. Those will be the words at the core of my Advent Psalms and mid-week blog. I hope they make this season holy and meaningful. See below for why my blogs have not been on time. Here are my previous blogs in the Words of Advent series: Words Wield the Power to Create and Destroy our Lives, Words of Advent: What Is Love? Love is a Name, and Advent Psalm: A Song of True Love
and Amen,… the Bible story of Luke 10 comes to mind, from your description,…
Luke 10:39-42
“39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
a similar juxtaposition to what you’ve also proposed,…
Yes, and I love that phrase “cumbered about.” That describes busyness so well. Happy Advent.
The word shalom comes to mind this week for me. Let this be a season of true shalom “peace”.
Well said. Shalom.