The power of four words
As the Advent season begins, hope, peace, joy and love need to be part of everyone’s life
As I write this guest sermon, Israel and Gaza have just entered into a ceasefire which we all pray will hold and lead to lasting peace.
However, the conflict in Syria continues to claim lives and disrupt communities. Violence continues in Congo; an Islander was murdered in St. Lucia; riots have become commonplace in various places around the world as people protest against those who rule over the country or set policy for the governments or financial institutions.
The list of such disturbances in the human family goes on and on. Reading or watching the news can often be a depressing exercise and it makes one wonder what’s next?
Tomorrow ( Sunday, Dec. 2) marks the beginning of the Advent season in the Christian community. In many churches, Advent candles are lit and four words or themes are highlighted in times of worship. In the shadow of all the disruption that has created turmoil in various parts of the world, ( and consequently I suspect in many people’s hearts), these words cry out to us and call us to a different way of being and living.
We begin with hope. In many faith traditions there is some sort of variation on the Golden Rule — “Do unto other as you would have them do unto you.” This Advent season, I find myself hoping that we can all learn the way of respect for others. Yes, we have our differences but this is not an excuse to lash out at brothers and sisters disrespectfully or violently. I believe God calls us to be one human family and I hope we will take respect for others seriously.
Next comes peace. As Christians, we are preparing to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. Can we faithfully celebrate that birth if we do not strive for peace in our world and in our hearts? So I urge you to pray for peace in this troubled world: peace that grows out of the respect that we have for one another. Pray for personal peace which I believe comes in knowing that you are a loved member of God’s family. Pray for real and lasting peace, which is God’s gift to us all.
I hope for peace in the world which will lead people to a spirit of joy. It would be an amazing thing if people could go to bed at night without the worry whether or not their home would be bombed or invaded; without worrying about the safety of loved ones. We work toward this by calling out for justice in the world and challenging those institutions and governments that exploit people for the gain of a few. Our well- being and joy should not come to us at the expense of others. We work toward joy when we do whatever we can to bring joy into others lives by caring for the hurting and the needy, by comforting those who suffer, by listening to those who need a friend, by being respectful of those we encounter every day at the store, at work, in our leisure activity. Joy to the World! The Lord is come! proclaims a favourite Christmas hymn. May we do all we can to make that joy a reality.
The final word of Advent is love. “For God so loved the world, that he sent his only Son ...” proclaims the Gospel of John. We have Christmas because of love — God’s love for each one of us. Love is the source of our Hope; love is the foundation for Peace, love is the fuel for the candle of Joy.
With respect and love for one another may we prepare ourselves for another celebration of Christmas, as God’s love for us is proclaimed in the birth of a baby, the gift of a Saviour, the Prince of Peace — the gift the world so desperately needs this Christmas.