Links for today’s readings:
Read: Ezra 4 Listen: (4:27)
Read: Revelation 3 Listen: (3:53)
Scripture Focus: 1 Corinthians 14:33
33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…
Reflection: The Stillness of Holidays — Peace of Advent
By Erin Newton
The blanketing of snow on our rare winter days brings the most sought-after stillness and silence in the world. The commotion of daily busyness ceases. Men, women, and children are confined to their houses (hopefully) bundled together by the warmth of the fire. The animals too retreat into the warmth of their nests, holes, hives, or burrows. Stillness falls on the earth. Even the vibrancy of all the colors of creation is hushed with the covering of white. Plans stall. Calendars pause. It is, at least for me, the most peaceful day of the year—and extremely rare.
After we have tasted the peace of Christ that makes us whole, after we have seen conflict resolve and justice reign, the peace that falls on our lives and souls is the stillness from life’s unquietness. We have so many words to describe it: contentment, calmness, stillness, quietness, serenity. There is beauty in the lack of hustle just like there is beauty in a world covered in snow.
The Christmas hymns we sing portray the birth of our Savior in this quiet, peaceful atmosphere. “All is calm, all is bright.” “The world in solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.” It is the presence of God among humanity that brings this divine calmness, at least as we imagine that fateful night.
With ceaseless wars and continual injustices, the calmness of peace does not describe our world today. Chaos continues and the waves come crashing down around us.
We’ve explored the ways in which we can wait expectantly for the peace of Christ during Advent. What about stillness? What about calm?
We should continue to look within our souls, to be reminded of the wholeness granted to us by his peace and ask Christ to create calmness in our hearts. (As someone diagnosed with chronic anxiety, I know this is harder than it sounds.)
The blankets of snow in winter have the effect of absorbing sounds. Snow fills potholes and evens the horizon. It envelopes the world and with it the loud, hectic movement that defines our typical weeks. That is like this divine peace we wait for expectantly.
The peace of Advent grants us the hope of bringing stillness to our lives, or at least within our souls. Peace comes through the surety of who Christ is and the inability of anything to dethrone him.
Divine Hours Prayer: The Cry of the Church
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon me.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon me.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, grant me your peace.
– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.
Read more about The Lowly and the Lofty — Peace of Advent
Will you put your shoulder to the work or abstain? Will you put your faith into action?
Support Our Work
Our work is free to access but not free to produce. You don’t have to give a large dollar amount to make a large difference. Please consider becoming a donor.