World Peace

It sounds wonderful, and I’m definitely not against it. But who would ever say they were? Everyone claims to want peace, everyone likes to say that world peace is at the top of their Christmas list. For some reason people think it’s what you’re supposed to wish for this time of year. I mean, it’s Christmas. We’re all supposed to drop our weapons, hold hands and sing Christmas carols together right? Isn’t that the point of Christmas? They even have bible verses. In Chapter two of the Gospel of Luke the word peace is mentioned three times. Wasn’t the cry of the angels “on earth peace, good will toward men?”

But for some reason, everyone’s desire for “world peace” seems a bit off. I’m reminded of that whole “putting a band aid on the symptom” analogy. There is a lot of war in this world. It comes in different forms; there is strife between nations, between people and between political parties. There’s strife in families, in friendships and in churches. Then there’s internal strife as well, which many have tried to end or escape from, but none have been able to. If I were to be honest I would admit that even Christians don’t have perfect internal peace and never will while they live near their flesh. The war is unavoidable and often never ending. Everyone who’s experienced this life has experienced a lot of war.

So of course everyone would want to find peace, and the words of the angels are encouraging to us. They bring hope and a slogan we can throw around during Christmas time to make everyone feel good and spread Christmas cheer. But it’s hard to think of it as anything but skin deep. It’s hard to take the desires and well wishes of “world peace” seriously. That’s because there is a war that no one likes to talk about. No one likes to look at it. It is the war that all the strife flows from, and while the world would definitely like to end the excess strife, they have very little desire to end--or even admit to the existence--of this war.

In his epistle, James claims that--because the world is so adverse to God--to even be a friend of this world is to be at war with its Creator. The scriptures describe humans over and over again as children of wrath who live to war against their Creator. Because of this war, there is no peace on Earth. That’s why the Incarnation was needed, to end the war.

The words of Zacharias, father of John the Baptist, after his son was born:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life...To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

The words of the angels to the shepherds:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

The words of Simeon after seeing baby Jesus:

“Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”

Those are the references to peace in chapter two of Luke, and they already sound quite different from how most people today mention peace around christmas time. But when you look at the words of Paul the apostle, written to the church in Ephesus, you see this peace explained very clearly:

“Ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

The word of God given to Isaiah the Prophet:

I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.~Isaiah 57:19

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6

This is the real peace. It is the peace that was offered to the entire world, jews as well as gentiles. Peace between man and God. This is a war that man cannot win, but God gave man an offering of peace, a way for peace to be possible.

So why is everyone so confused? Perhaps it is because God’s children have failed to explain the message God has delivered through them to the world very clearly or loudly.

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!~Romans 10:15

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace~Ephisians 6:15 (regarding the armor of God)

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.~The words of Jesus from Matthew 5:9

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.~James 3:18

I like the way the lyrics of this song explain the peace the angels spoke of. Some of the images miss the point in my opinion, but the song is good.

Peace on Earth by Chris Rice