A Prayer of Peace: December 5

Second Sunday in Advent: A Reflection on Peace

“Glory to God in heaven, and on earth, peace among those whom God favors.”

Luke 2:14

The Gospel according to Luke paints a vision of angels in heaven praising the Holy One and announcing the arrival of the Christ. In their worship, they equated the glory of God with peace among God’s creation.

Peace and glory go together.

This understanding of peace far surpasses the simple absence of conflict or cessation of fighting. Peace, especially from the tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures, means the world as God intended it to be. Harmony and mutuality, abundance and communality, and wellbeing and wholeness categorize God’s peace.

We live in a world fueled by discord, acrimony, and hostility. Daily, we’re confronted with the brokenness of societies and cultures that wage war as the solution to every problem and employ weapons as the only tools worth learning how to use. Peace itself seems to be a target of those who reject the vision of beloved community anchored in the peace of God in favor of tumult and chaos.

Advent beckons us to look back and reach forward for the appearance of the Sovereign Heir of Peace in the world. As we, the church, continue in this season of expectation and anticipation, we hear the call to embody the promise of peace. Let us live the words expressed in the hymn, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me;
let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.
With God our creator, children all are we.
Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now.
With every step I take, may this be my solemn vow:
To take each moment and live each moment 
in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Let us pray:

Eternal God of Peace, fire peace within us.
Make us an oasis of peace in the storms of life.
Soothe our anxieties and calm our concerns.
Provide us with wisdom and discernment to take the journey that leads to wholeness and life abundantly.
Be glorified in our peace. Amen

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Written by Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, Sermon Seeds writer and editor

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This prayer is part of a series of daily reflections for Advent 2021.

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