“Everyone in Judea and all the people of Jerusalem went out to the Jordan River and were being baptized by John as they confessed their sins.” Mark 1: 5
The Second Sunday of Advent is when we light the candle of peace. Lighting candles for peace is a bold move in turbulent times. My guess is if one were to do a historical study over the course of Advent’s, one would find some form of turbulence occurring every year. The unrest can be around wars and conflicts of national and global scales. Other turmoil may be personal conflicts. All of which adds to just how elusive peace can seem during any given Advent.
Yet, we light the candle of peace regardless. Each year when we do, we encounter John the Baptist, who at first blush seems to be anything but a peaceful guy. Indeed, he is a bit of an odd character. Such is how he grabs our attention. Such is how he sparked the curiosity of those who came out to hear him and receive a baptism of repentance. The people searched John out, he did not go and find them. He did not send a direct message or show up at their house or even send one of those annoying marketing postcards. John held his messenger post in the wilderness and the people went searching for him.
Peace rarely shows up unexpectedly. More often peace must be sought like the people looking for new life in John’s advent message. We must work for peace. One of the great teachings of faith is understanding peace is more than the absence of conflict. We can refuse to speak out against injustice to keep the peace. We can silence people’s concerns about oppression and prejudice to keep the peace. Such is not peace. Such is just burying that which is accepted and comfortable to keep the status quo at the expense of peace. Peace takes work – personal spiritual work and corporate spiritual work.
Once again we light the candle of peace and we go out to hear the message of John. John’s is a message of preparation for what is to come. We are preparing our hearts, souls and minds to receive the newborn Christ. A preparation where we must be willing to examine and turn from the practices, beliefs and idols we prefer over the message of Christ. A preparation where we must look not at others but at ourselves and honestly uncover the places and people we follow who demand our fealty over our Christ. A preparation of turning away and cleansing ourselves of the notion that peace is the work of someone else or comes through violence.
The candle of peace lights our way as we search our hearts, minds and souls this Advent season. We are the seekers, like the first hearers of John so long ago. We have to leave the comfort of our well-planned, well-established constructs for the work of peace. May we be inspired by the many we find on the road with us. May we have the courage to seek peace.
Advent Peace to you,
Rev. Wendy