The Call To Peace.
Hope. Peace. Joy. Love.
The four themes of Advent are iconic during the holiday season. Everywhere you go you’ll see these words as warm wishes on the front of greeting cards, on mugs for you to see when you sip your coffee with peppermint creamer, as lyrics in songs playing over the speakers at the mall or in stores, at church gatherings and even as sentiments shared between friends. The themes of Advent are baked into this time of year and, almost naturally in our lives, we often find ourselves gravitating towards one of the four themes.
For Kimee and I, we’ve been pulled towards peace…
Peace is such a fascinating topic. At first, we may think we know all there is to know about peace. Peace is that feeling of calm and collected serenity that comes when you can take a few nervous-system-calming deep breaths in the midst of chaos; it’s that feeling when the world gets quiet and you can step out of the hustle and bustle around you; it’s when war and disagreements and fights end; it’s when things ‘feel right in the world’. But what if peace was actually so much more? What if peace was something active that we are invited into, instead of something we are passive bystanders in the wake of?
Peace in the pages of scripture…
Peace in scripture are both Shalom and Eirene. These words refer to physical things that are complete, like a brick wall where all the bricks are in place, and also a person’s well-being. The core idea behind these words often translated as peace is that life is complex, full of moving parts, relationships and situations, and when any of these is out of alignment or missing, your shalom breaks down and you no longer have peace. Life is no longer whole, it needs to be restored to wholeness or completeness. Imagine when you feel wronged by someone— Your peace breaks down because your relationship is no longer whole. To bring peace is to restore the relationship. It’s more than just saying ‘sorry’, it’s asking ‘what can I do to make this right?’. Back in the time of the writing of the scriptures, a relatable example would have been if your animal accidentally damages your neighbours field, you ‘shalom’ them by giving them a complete repayment for their loss— you take what’s missing and you return it to wholeness. In human relationships, to reconcile or heal a broken relationship is to bring shalom.
When Jesus was prophesied as the Prince of Peace, Prince of Shalom, in Isaiah, there was an expectation that Jesus was going to bring wholeness, restoration and completeness to everyone. People were expecting Peace to reign in their physical places of living; people working together, relationships flourishing, yes— an absence of fighting, but a community of coming together for everyone’s benefit. When Jesus came as Prince of Peace, and when we realized the peace he gave us, we became the hands and feet of Jesus in the world—peacemakers where the peace within us overflows into how we restore peace in the world. Becoming people of peace means participating in the life of Jesus who reconciled all things in heaven and earth.
“Peace on Earth”…
When we say ‘Peace on Earth’, we are talking about restoring relationships, healing the land, working together and recognizing the image of the divine in all people so that absence of conflict is just the beginning and true wholeness and flourishing is the result. A world that flourishes, that isn’t lacking, that isn’t torn and grieving but is alive with the Peace of Jesus is what we are saying when we say ‘Peace on Earth’.
Ahimsa…
Peace with this richness of depth aligns beautifully with Ahimsa in yoga philosophy— Ahimsa, non-violence, is inspired by the premise that all living beings have the spark of the divine, therefore, to hurt another being is to hurt oneself. Ahimsa encourages us to 'cause no injury' to another living being including in one's deeds, words, and thoughts.
“Ahimsa, rightly understood, is the ultimate weapon; it turns one’s enemy into a friend, thereby banishing the possibility of further conflict. In the practice of yoga, it is important to understand that the same life flows in the veins of all creatures.”
– Swami Kriyananda
Unfolding Peace…
The richness of peace was unfolding as Kimee & I connected.
We acknowledged the weary world crying out for peace at every turn.
The call to be peacemakers was being illuminated within our bones
The life of Jesus, born to us and celebrated at Christmas time as our Perfect Peace, invites us to step out of the passive peace we’ve become accustomed to, and step into an active peace and co-create with God Peace On Earth.
Advent Half-Day Retreat…
Seamlessly we weaved together the offerings of the day beginning with a restorative yoga session looking at the passive parts of peace, to an energizing flow as we will explore the active aspects of peace. Ahimsa will be woven into the threads of the day. We will take time to create with our hands a peace lantern, to light in this dark season, as a way to remember and declare our call to peace; silence with God to listen to the Spirit speaking of our own individual peace-forward convictions; and closing with a communal commitment to peace.
This day is going to be rich. It’s going to be expansive and reflective and as the depth of peace is explored, it just may end up being a moment you look back on that provides a new lens for all the ‘peace’ you see during this Christmas season and beyond.
Will you join us?
