Isaiah 64:1-9
by Matt Straw
“Peace” is a trendy term at Christmas. And often it remains just that – a cute phrase to write on our holiday cards – “Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men.” But do we actively
Artwork by Mac
work at bringing that peace on earth? Are we peacemakers in our own families? Do we work to heal family strife or do we let our prejudices bring discord? Do we refer to folks in other countries with contempt or do we speak of them as our brothers and sisters?
Peace on earth starts with us, with our attitudes toward others. Our words convey the attitude of our hearts, and create either a culture of peace or a culture of hate within our homes. Sometimes it is difficult to tell which attitude is being promoted as our words speak of peace, but our actions promote discord. I like the questions Willie Nelson asks in his song “What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth?”:
So I guess it’s just
Do unto others before they do it to you.
Let’s just kill em’ all and let God sort em’ out.
Is this what God wants us to do?
If we stop loving our neighbor as ourselves and forget to treat everyone with the same respect and love we would desire for ourselves, there can be no peace on earth. The way of peace requires a shift in how we view everything.
So this holiday season, let us make the term “Peace on Earth” mean something. Let us be active peacemakers.