Jesus brings peace and goodwill

Angels announced Jesus’ incarnation into the world as “good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:1011). And a great company of heavenly host was praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (v. 14).

The pandemic is raging, and many families grieve the passing away of their loved ones. We feel overwhelmed at times when life seems to drain all the joy within. The senseless killing of soldiers protecting our borders shocks us. Why do people kill one another? The poor who are struggling to survive often sink into a spiralling abyss of debt. In such a context, we hear the carols repeat the refrain “peace on earth, goodwill to men.” Do we sing this carol from our head or our heart?

Jesus pours His love in us by the Holy Spirit so that we become channels of faith hope, and love; influencing and enriching lives. A follower of Jesus Christ can never give in to hopelessness, even when confronted by a daily onslaught of chilling crime, pandemic greed, lethal hatred, and toxic politics. The oppression and hate surrounding us are intense and mocks the song of ‘peace on earth, goodwill to men.’ Jesus lived out His mission of peace on earth and goodwill among human beings. He is the perfect image of the invisible God, inviting us to follow in His steps.

We need to cling to Jesus and follow him with all our strength, for only then does our life attain fulfilment. We draw our life from Jesus in the way “an unborn baby lives off the life of its mother, living in, with and through her very life.” This coming year let our trust in Jesus, who defeated death, empower us to work for peace and goodwill among men. Happy New Year!