The Coming of Peace (2nd Sunday of Advent)
Ruth Ann Stites, Staff Writer
The second theme of Advent is peace. From one perspective, human history is a catalog of conflicts. If we are speaking of the history of the United States we start with the Revolution, follow it with our Civil War, and advance through World War I and II, Vietnam, Gulf wars 1 and 2, and are watching for what comes next. As Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed” (Matt. 24:6). Our Lord was speaking of the end times in this passage, yet this sentence helps us see the state of that fragile thing our world cannot seem to preserve – peace – and how we can obtain it.
You will remember one of Isaiah’s titles for the coming king is “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). In John 14, after He has promised that He will send the Holy Spirit to His followers, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (verse 27). The Prince of Peace has conferred on us His peace. We have no cause for alarm because we have a far greater promise of peace than the world can offer.
Obviously, the peace Jesus confers is different from the cessation of conflict the world defines as peace. One difference I would like to explore is that Jesus’ peace takes time and toil to come into its full beauty and usefulness. This fall I went with my family to Silver Dollar City outside Branson, Missouri, for their Harvest Festival. We watched the glass blower craftsman at work as he repeatedly took his piece back to the furnace to reheat it so he could continue shaping it. As he worked, he spoke and made one point clear: Heat is essential for shaping glass. Without heating and reheating the piece while crafting it to specific and changing temperatures, there would be no beautiful and useful piece created.
We celebrate the birth of Jesus who gave us peace. Yet the Holy Spirit is crafting something incredibly beautiful out of the raw material of the peace we have received through the fires of living in this world. Not only do we enjoy the benefits of peace now, but we will have its ultimate beauty to enjoy in eternity. Our part is to accept the process with untroubled hearts.
As you prepare for the coming of Christmas this year, meditate on the peace that came into the world with Jesus’s birth, and rejoice that you have received the gift of His peace now and forever.
(Photo credit: R. A. Stites, Silver Dollar City, Missouri, glass blower at work, 2025)
