Instead of the joyous peace that Advent offers, I often hear
people talk about approaching holidays with apprehension and negativity. In
fact, a phrase that I have heard more than I would like to recount is this:
“Relatives are like fish,
they stink after a couple days.”
The consensus is that people endure their relatives for as short
a time as possible during holiday seasons and then they can move on to more fun
times with “friends” or acquaintances.
I understand the sentiment. Though the flavor varies depending
on the family, anyone can find reasons to dread spending more than a couple of
hours in dysfunction and cruelty. There is always . . .
- the one who thrives on offending
- the one who speaks before thinking
- the one who always asks for money
- the one who never ever calls or comes home
- the one who drinks too much and abuses you
- the one who lavishly sprinkles salt on open wounds
- the one who sings the praises of others and catalogs your faults
- the one who does not differentiate between appropriate and
inappropriate
- the one who pretends not to see you or avoids making eye contact
with you at all costs
. . . the relative who seemingly stinks like fish.
And the list could go on and on for thousands of miles.
Of course, with a resumé like the one above, the holiday season
readily unearths knots in the belly, searing pain in the heart, hurtful
memories of past events and gatherings, etc.
In Isaiah 11:6-9, a beautiful revelation was given Isaiah
concerning the unity all inhabitants of the earth are invited to uphold and
enjoy. Our heavenly Father crafted us, hemmed us in, created our inmost being,
knitted us together in the womb, fearfully and wonderfully made us. He knows
how it should work. He is well aware that each one of us is unique and we are
as different as different can be. Yet, He has called us to live together in
peace and harmony.
God’s revelation to Isaiah points us to a time after the second
coming of Christ where the whole “earth will be full of the knowledge of the
Lord as the waters cover the sea.” This knowledge will cause hearts to embrace forgiveness eradicating conflicts
between predator and prey, boss and employee, husband and wife, parent and
child. This message of peace, when embraced, can bring about spiritual changes
in a believer that will bring them to repent from previous habits that waged
war with God. It is that same knowledge that inspired Paul to urge us in Romans
12:16a to “live in harmony with one another.”
What better way to prepare for this future time of peace?
With God in our lives (Immanuel), we are invited to demonstrate
that His grace has transformed us wholly. Let us heed God’s Word today and let
us pray that the next holiday season will find us living in peace and harmony
with everyone, repaying evil with blessing.
Dona
nobis pacem!
No comments:
Post a Comment