Peace? Seriously? Have You SEEN what all I Deal With?

As the second candle of Advent was lit yesterday, the thought came into my mind that one of the reasons we struggle with Advent - besides, of course, society telling us that NOW is the Christmas season - is that our understanding of the four focuses of Advent (Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love) have been so separated from their God-given roots that we do not know how to handle a season that calls us to focus on these.

Think about it - we find Hope in something here and now that will make everything better. We seek Peace in that one more thing that will allow us to get rid of that which is stressing us out. Joy - well, we have made joy and happiness so synonymous that if we aren't happy, there can't possible be joy in our lives. And Love - well, don't get me started on the number of ways I have been hurt by those who supposedly 'LOVE' me that the thought that someone could love me unconditionally is simply laughable.

While I could write about all of these, I think yesterday's service on Peace may be the most difficult of them all, for it's in this area that I find so many of us totally missing what Christ is bringing, and why yesterday's reading from Luke's Gospel was so crucial to our season - John's father reminded us all that Christ is coming to guide our feet in the ways of peace.

This is why Jesus issued a very simple command - 'Follow Me.' Instead of always trying to 'figure out' Jesus, or trying to find the loopholes (well, how little do I have to do to be a faithful Christian), Jesus' promise is simply this - Follow me, and I'll lead the way.

These, my dear friends, are reasons why we must not hurry through or overlook Advent - through these specific foci we are being prepared to once again celebrate the arrival of our source of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

And, then, we can look at our lives and say that no matter what is going on right now, our Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love cannot be found from within ourselves or by the actions of others, but only in the person of the Christ child, whose birth this whole thing is supposed to be about, anyway. So, take a deep breath - your life may seem tumultuous now, but our focus is on the eternal.

Grace and Peace,

Lamar