Perhaps none of the scriptural titles which Christians claim for him fit Jesus better than one which was written hundreds of years before he was born; the title “Prince of Peace” from Isaiah 9:6. Jesus is truly our “Prince of Peace,” a divine agent of the peace of God in this violent world.
There is no time at which we need the peace of God more than the holiday season. Our streets are filled with perpetual bumper to bumper traffic, making each excursion from our homes a festival of pain and an experiment in the creative expressions of “road rage.” Our stores are claustrophobically packed with impatient shoppers standing elbow to elbow hoping to nudge the person next to them out of position so that they can snatch up whatever hot new item it is they are hoping to give to a nephew, grandson, lover or friend. Our radios are perpetually trying our nerves with constant and tedious renditions of mediocre Christmas carols whose giddy melodies stand in stark contrast to our depressingly mad Christmas rush. The sheer wattage of our neighbors’ Christmas lights compete with the airport’s runway lights making us wonder which will happen first; a 747 landing in our front yard or a power outage.
Christmas, while a celebration marking the coming of the “Prince of Peace” to our world, has become a time of stress and anxiety. We worry about what to get for that special someone, forgetting that our love is enough. We worry about what to wear to the party or the church service, forgetting that our presence is enough. We worry about anything and everything, and so get distracted from the real meaning of this Christmas season.
In an age marred by the violence of terrorism and preemptive wars, perhaps we need to take time this Christmas to refocus on the peace that comes from the “Prince of Peace.” Perhaps, this Christmas, we need to lead lives characterized by the peace of Christ that passes all understanding. Perhaps this Christmas we need to escape from the mad rush of the holiday season and find the peace that comes from resting in our Savior.
Suns and Warriors Put On a Show (And Demonstrate Why Pace Matters)
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Last night the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors, two of the
fastest paced teams in the NBA, were matched up against each other on
national televi...
15 years ago
3 comments:
I find this posting rings especially true given my recent discussion with my wife about how sick she is of Christmas. As a mall employee she has never been so abused as by the angry Christmas shoppers feed up with lines to get into the mall, endless searching for a parking spot, elbow to elbow shopping conditions, and long waits at the register, only for the priveledge of spending too much money on gifts for relatives that are unlikely to appreciate them.
That would be "fed" up. Oops.
And could I buy a comma splice, please.
Yet again Mr. Perfectionist abuses punctuation. "?"
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