Join All Nations this Advent season to consider again the story of Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem – how His peace unfolds, to whom His arrival is announced, and what it means for you today.
Our Advent theme, “Emmanuel Still: The First Advent Still Speaks” was inspired by Kelley Nokondeha’s excellent book. She says: “The first advent was about the arrival of God into a world of woe, and every advent since invites us to grapple with what Jesus’s coming means to our fraught landscapes now” (p. 13). Read the first three Advent reflections on previous blog posts.
Advent Week 4: Peace & Peace-Makers
READ
In three days, we will celebrate the arrival of the Prince of Peace! Let us spend this last Sunday of Advent considering His Peace, and His peace-makers.
Where and through whom did Jesus bring Peace? It is coming to and from the most unexpected places. In The First Advent in Palestine, Kelly Nikondeha says, “God’s peace was unfurled where life wasn’t working, where people hurt most, where hope was on the run. Here, God declared, here, peace can—here, peace will—bloom” (p. 58).
Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God,” (Matt 5:9). Where do we look for the peacemakers? Where we least expect.
In the first Advent, God’s shalom campaign bloomed in the wombs of a barren, elderly woman and her young cousin who originated from what was considered the “bad side of town.” And the not-so-quiet announcement of shalom on earth came to the lowest working class, the shepherds in the fields. All of them were oppressed by the Roman empire.
Perhaps peace could come through – even – you. Perhaps through the people you easily ignore and dismiss.
When does peace come? The Prince of Peace came over 2000 years ago, but His peace does not yet reign. So we remember that full peace on earth is not immediate nor a one-time event.
“Like God’s kingdom, advent’s peace was both now and not yet…. It’s a slow peace. God’s advent was the start of something profoundly good, a good we still labor to realize today under different regimes, different religions, and different attempts at peace” (Nikondeha, p.98).
Perhaps God’s peace will bloom in the empire you reside in because you labor for it. Perhaps He will surprise us show the beauty of His peace in an unexpected regime and religion, because His peace-makers labor there too.
Scripture: Luke 1:39-56; Matthew 5:1-12
Further Reading: Darya, an Iranian refugee, experiences God’s shalom and becomes a peace-maker herself. Read her story here.
REFLECT
Shepherds were at the very bottom of society when Jesus was born. Like “migrant farm workers of today, those laboring in the fields all around us – nearly unseen and certainly under-appreciated” (Nikondeha, p. 90). Yet they were not only chosen by God to be the first to hear this life-altering news, but they also told others this good news. “Once invisible, they were chosen to be the first to witness God’s work. No longer would they speak in hushed tones, keep quiet, or stay out of sight. They spoke of what they witnessed to everyone they met as they made their way back to the fields outside of Bethlehem” (Nikondeha, p. 94).
Consider the picture below of a migrant farm workers. What hopes or fears, feelings or thoughts does it inspire as you consider these are counted among God’s peace-makers, His peace-proclaimers?
Questions for reflection:
- Look for the peacemakers in your community. How does recognizing God’s pattern of working through poor, oppressed, and normal people change your way of thinking and seeing?
- Do you consider yourself a peacemaker? If not, why? What could you do to join Jesus to see the advent of His “slow peace” in the different circles in your life?
- Dream with God. Imagine what could be different in a world where we steward the shalom extended to us: what could be restored, what relationships could be reconciled, and what could be healed? Let this guide your prayer today.
—
We’re so glad you journeyed with us. We have a few (free & online) trainings to recommend to continue your journey! If you’d like to explore more unexpected places to find and make peace, check out these trainings: Loving Your Muslim Neighbors, Loving Your Refugee Neighbors, and Loving Your Gen Z Neighbors. And to walk with Jesus, what we need most is to hear from Him. Here’s a great training on hearing his voice!
P.P.S. If you’d like to continue hearing from All Nations, consider signing up for a monthly newsletter with stories from around the world, or committing to pray by joining the Prayer Corps!
Works Cited: Nikondeha, Kelley. The First Advent in Palestine: Reversals, Resistance, and the Ongoing Complexity of Hope. Fortress Press, 2022. Kindle file.
—
On Giving Tuesday 2024, All Nations Kansas City launched “Emmanuel Still”, a year-end giving campaign! You are invited to multiply the stories of people around the world who get to experience for the first time that Jesus is, indeed, Emmanuel – still.
