Day 4: A Transforming Peace

Have you ever hated someone? I confess, I've never felt my hatred was without cause.

Advent is a time of waiting for God to come to us. But in an us-vs-them world, who is the "us"?

When the Jewish people hoped for a Messiah, they expected a King who would rescue them and destroy their enemies. It was forbidden for a Jewish man to even associate with Gentiles (see Acts 10:28). But in Acts 10-11, through a series of miraculous visions and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God showed the early church that both Gentiles and Jews—generational enemies—are now brothers and sisters in the family of God.

We face similar challenges today:

• Sociological studies in the United States reveal that many Americans look for a church that aligns with their politics, rather than politics aligned with their church.
• The combination of religious and nationalistic fervor can generate social crises.
• Repeatedly, denominations split into new groups over intractable differences.

But the early church testified that Jesus is our peace, who united Jews and Gentiles into one new family. We see the ripple effects when Jesus inspired Martin Luther King, Jr. to dream of black and white children joining hands together as sisters and brothers.

As you await the Prince of Peace this Christmas, who do you want him to fight for?

Is he fighting for our group?

Or is he transforming our hearts and their hearts, so we are both part of God's family?

This Christmas, may Jesus be our peace.