An Altogether Peace

An Altogether Peace John 14:27 Despite COVID, many people will still travel this Advent season. So, imagine for a moment that you're on a long car trip. You've been cruising down the interstate for hours before you see a sign that shows the name of your destination and how many more miles until you reach it. Seeing that sign for the first time feels like a twofold message. It's good news because with every passing mile, you're getting closer. But it's also strenuous because, even though you're closer than when you started, you've still got a long way to go. You're getting tired, achy, hungry, and maybe even a little grumpy staring down that endless road, but you're still not there yet. That road trip can illustrate the tension all of us can feel during Advent, especially this year when COVID has forced us to change so much. We talk about Jesus, who is coming again to be with us, even though He is already here. Our lips speak of "peace on earth, goodwill to all," even though everything around us feels like it's a long way away from being peaceful. And even though every television commercial sings "the most wonderful time of the year," you may feel that the distance to that wonderful destination feels far off. That's why every Advent, we see the destination and distance signs of peace, hope, love, and joy along our journey to the manger. With every Sunday that passes, your anticipation intensifies as the destination comes closer while still seeming far away. Each week is a reminder of how we have almost attained these things, but not quite. An "almost hope" reminds us that brighter days are ahead, but we still have to travel through the darkness. And some of those dark days can be just plain hard. An "almost love" reminds us that this world is filled with different temporary definitions of love, but none of them as fulfilling as God's love for us and from us. An "almost joy" reminds us that God can meet our deepest needs, but in the meantime, we still wrestle with fleeting feelings. This Advent may take you to some pretty deep places, but it will also show you Immanuel, God with us, who sees the destination regardless of how long you've been traveling or how you feel during your journey. Allow this Advent to cover the distance between almost and altogether. And today, we read the distance and destination sign of "Almost Peace." This year, it won't take much to realize how far we have to travel before we reach the destination of Altogether Peace. COVID is rampant; the news is filled with stories of violence, racism, and persecution. You may have experienced or been thinking about broken relationships, bitterness, or the miles of heartache you've traveled. Think about the lack of peace within your heart. Ponder any pain or unsettledness you may be feeling and confront those inner demons of shame and guilt that keep you from taming those feelings of anger or fear. At times, peace can seem miles away. But we strive so hard to produce an "almost peace" for others to see. John Wesley used the term "almost" to describe a Christian who had the outward "form of godliness," while still falling short of "altogether" godliness on the inside. Isn't it true how we attempt to cover up our insecurities, put on a good face despite what we may be experiencing or feeling, and try to convince others, and ourselves, that things are better than they really are? But deep down on the inside, you're far from peaceful or even afraid. That's why the Bible is so reassuring because it reveals people's stories, faults, and all. It's no wonder that the characters we read about in Jesus' birth also had similar struggles. The Gospels remind us that none of Jesus' family, friends, or followers lived perfect, trouble-free lives when Jesus was born. That's why the first message each of them heard was, "Don't be afraid." When the angel Gabriel told Zechariah the amazing news, Zechariah was "startled and overcome with fear" (Luke 1:12). He needed peace. At first, the young Mary was troubled and wrestled with the news of giving birth to the Son of God, but the angel Gabriel reassured her with the words, "Don't be afraid" (Luke 1:30). When Jesus was born, and the "glory of the Lord shone around them," the shepherds were terrified, but the angels proclaimed, "Don't be afraid" (Luke 2:8-10). Joseph was troubled and desperately needed peace in his heart when he first heard the news that Mary was pregnant, and an angel had to encourage him to take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:18-28). And of course, there was Herod, the embodiment of everything that's contrary to peace. When he heard that Jesus was born "King of the Jews," Herod became jealous, terrified, paranoid, and dead set on getting rid of "Jesus of Nazareth" (Matthew 2:1-16). If it wasn't for the angel warning Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, Herod would have gotten his evil way. Time and time again, the Gospels remind us that the world Jesus entered was a world that needed peace. And not just peace in society or in relationships, but also deep within the human heart. This time of year has a way of stirring up past memories and reliving past emotions. So, what moments do you desire peace? This year, it seems like any chaos in our lives is amplified, and that heightened tension can bubble up until we overflow with feelings we'd much rather pretend we don't have, like being angry. It's like a joke I heard about a man who bragged about his marriage and said, "In our marriage, my wife and I have decided to never go to bed angry. We haven't been to sleep in 3 weeks!" You can try to bury your feelings and make yourself look almost good on the outside, but be far away from being altogether on the inside. And that hidden anger, when it bubbles over, can be scary and sometimes even uncontrollable. Thankfully, the Bible provides practical advice when it comes to finding peace amid your anger. Ephesians 4:26 tells Christians to be angry but not to sin because anger is not, in and of itself, sinful. Frustration is a part of life, and if you're frustrated with yourself, anger happens. If you've been hurt, it's natural to feel angry, and if you see injustice, anger is appropriate. But true peace, as Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "is not merely the absence of tensions, but the presence of justice." That's why amid all the COVID chaos this Advent, the better question is not "How can I avoid feeling angry?" Nor is it, "How can I repress these feelings?" The better question is, "How can I find a peace that transforms my feelings, including any anger, into something healthy, productive, and life-giving for both myself and others?" So, find out where your anger or negative feelings are growing from, and don't be afraid. Accept what you find and don't hide it or suppress it, but take action to Altogether Peace. Remember how the biblical characters of Jesus' birth faced anger and knew all about trouble. And look to others, such as John Wesley, who was also no stranger to trouble, stress, and anger. But Wesley was also very clear about the need to be peacemakers. In his sermon "Upon Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount," Wesley described Jesus' Words, "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9) by defining what it means to be a peacemaker as someone who, "Does all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can." Wesley understood a peacemaker in 2 words: "Do good." It's easy to do good with those you agree with and in relationships where there is never any conflict. But the real call of God is to cross the borders and boundaries that divide you from someone else. Whether those conflicts are born from betrayal or disagreements over religion or politics, or differences in race, age, gender, or any barrier, we're all called to "Do good." Not just once, hoping it'll be enough or with an expectation of getting something in return, because peacemakers do good all the time and in every way. That's a tall challenge, but an Altogether Peace only comes when we're committed to doing good all the time in every way. This was a command that Jesus took seriously and wanted to make sure that His disciples fully understood. If you look at today's Scripture verse in John, it's located in the middle of one of Jesus' longest teachings. Over 150 verses, from John 13-16, which is longer than Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, is Jesus' teaching that comes at a critical time for His disciples because this is Christ's final set of instructions and encouragement towards the end of His life. Moments before Christ's arrest and crucifixion, Jesus is telling His disciples the most important thing He wants them to remember before He was gone, and that was, "Peace I leave with you." In fact, at the end of Jesus' long teaching in John, 16:33 ends with more words about peace, "I've said these things to you so that you will have peace in Me. In the world you have trouble. But be encouraged! I have overcome the world." Peace was Jesus' last message, His last gift to His disciples before He died. But don't think it's weird to talk about the end of Christ's life during Advent because a recurring teaching throughout His ministry is how Jesus came to bring peace. Jesus was born into a world that needed peace. He lived in a world that needed peace, and He left behind a world that needs to know the peace of Christ. We need to remember that the world Jesus lived in had a different understanding of what peace looked like. For ancient Rome, peace came through power. Roman peace (Pax Romana) emerged about 30 years before Jesus' birth and lasted for centuries after. On the surface, Roman peace may have lacked a lot of war, but it was not the kind of peace that Martin Luther King Jr. preached. Rome's peace was not found by the presence of justice, or equality, or wholeness of life. Rome's peace was forged by oppressing everyone who would dare to rise up against Rome. People were tortured, beaten, jailed, or killed. It was a peace embodied by the horrors of King Herod during Jesus' birth. Upon hearing that Jesus was born, Herod was threatened and attempted to kill Jesus to protect his peace. That's the kind of peace Jesus was born into. So, when Jesus taught His disciples the night before He died, Jesus told them that the peace He was leaving them was not like Roman peace. "My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives" (John 14:27). The peace of Christ is not sustained by fear or oppression, and it's not born out of anger, revenge, or the accumulation of power. It was born out of love. The peace Jesus left with you comes from the Hebrew word shalom, which we translate as "peace." Shalom is one of the most important words in the Bible because it is so much more than just peace. It is not just the absence of war or feelings of contentment. Shalom means "to be completed," "to be healthy," and "to keep peace." It means to be whole, complete, and full. It's wholeness in yourself, but also wholeness in your relationships with others. That's the kind of peace Jesus is teaching us, shalom. But notice how Jesus takes shalom even further by saying, "Peace I leave with you. MY peace I give to you." Jesus doesn't wish them peace. He's not offering them a blessing of peace or leaving them a few good words about peace. Jesus said, "MY peace I give to you." He is offering Himself. He is leaving them a part of who He is so they can journey through their troubled times. Think about what that meant for His disciples and for you today. It's Jesus who was sleeping on a boat in the middle of a storm showing calmness amid chaos. It's Jesus who stood before those who found fault with Him and challenged Him in public. He showed them how to speak without shame, to walk through crowds without fear, to stand up for what is right, and to forgive even those who tormented Him on the cross. It's Jesus who starred right at death and raised the dead. It's Jesus who spoke of comfort to the grieving and hope about the resurrection. Jesus was giving them that kind of peace! The ability to name what's grieving you, to acknowledge your loss, and to know that death does not have the final say. It's the peace that unites us as we serve one another in love, and Jesus is giving you that kind of peace as well! Yes, that might sound hard right now in the middle of COVID, violence, racism, and disagreements. You may look into the mirror and see anything but shalom staring back at you. You might see years of hardship and heartache. Your eyes reveal the disagreements you've had with others. And you can't hide your frown from all that has happened recently. But the message of the angels to Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds is the same message for you: "Do not fear. Do not be afraid." You know, later in the Gospel of John, after Jesus' death, the resurrected Jesus appeared to His disciples, and what do you think the first thing He said was? It's was the last thing He said before He died, "Peace be with you" (John 20:19). It's the same shalom that Jesus gives you today. It's a peace that was greatly seen on Christmas Eve in 1914. In Europe, it was in the trenches of WW I, where battalions of British soldiers were staring down their German enemy in a brutal battle. Among them was 19-year-old Charles Brewer, a British lieutenant shivering with his comrades. Five months of war had taken over 1 million lives, and there was no end in sight. As Brewer retold the story, something amazing happened. Brewer peered out of the trench, and off in the distance was a lite Christmas tree. He could also hear sound never before heard on the battlefield. Singing. In German. It was the words of "Silent Night." When the Germans finished singing, the British soldiers cheered and clapped. And instead of returning fire, they returned in song and sang the English version of Silent Night. When dawn emerged, something even more incredible happened. Unarmed German and Allied soldiers slowly emerged from the trenches and carefully crossed no-man's-land to exchange small gifts and to wish each other a Merry Christmas. This hymn, and other gestures of goodwill, succeed were political or military efforts have failed. Likewise, this hymn speaks about silence amid all the busyness and heavenly peace amid the Coronavirus that has crossed every border. Look at the world around us. The COVID around us, and we feel like the Advent of peace is a long way off. But ultimately, living a life of Altogether Peace transforms lives, relationships, and eventually the world. But remember that the possibility of peace is already here. It's found in the presence of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to help us express the peace that only Christ can bring. It's an Altogether Peace because we are Altogether in the Spirit of Christ. An Altogether Peace, an Altogether Shalom. AMEN 2