Peace

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by Dr. Troy Doucet

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Christmas time is upon us once again. Of course, this year there is the obvious and proverbial "cloud" which hangs over this usually festive and joyous time. As we begin to think about advent and the lighting of our "PEACE" candle this week, there seems to be an incongruent sense of what reality is and where our hope resides. That is to say, while PEACE is longed for in our world by many, the world seems to manifest anything but PEACE at this time of PEACE. Disease, hunger, war, famine are all too consistent realities of our world that appear to be more perpetual than PEACE ON EARTH.

Yet, as we come into the second week of advent and as we focus our thoughts and prayers towards PEACE, it might be helpful to come to some more coherent understanding in situating PEACE as an authentic possibility and not merely one of potential hope.

PEACE cannot simply mean the absence of conflict and animosity or the avoidance of war or turmoil. Rather, PEACE in the New Testament is this Greek word (εἰρήνη), pronounced "Eirene" (we get the name Irene from this word). While there are multiple meanings and significations to this word, one of the most important definitions is this understanding that PEACE is an internal position of the soul's assurance and trust in God's provision that it manifests outwardly in one's life and being.

In other words, PEACE is NOT contingent upon the external circumstances-- but of one's inward harmony. I won't go so far as to say that PEACE, like happiness, is a "choice"-- but rather, that PEACE is something that is given not earned. PEACE, at least in the sense of how the Gospels employ this word, is a state of being where-- because of God's unending love for us-- we know that in the end conflicts will be resolved, that good will overcome evil, that LOVE WINS!!

This doesn't give us a license to sit on our laurels and wait for the magical appearance of "PEACE on earth"-- rather, it beckons us and calls to our deepest sense of longing and wanting PEACE to be known to GO and make PEACE with others and with ourselves. Why? Because we have PEACE first and foremostly with God. Christ's birth is the proof of this PEACE and the evidence of the coming of this PEACE that must first be rooted within us before it is ever manifested in the world.