Peace

Rebecca Sheridan
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Ephesians 2:13-20

    Last week, Pastor Krahn reminded us that there are a few different definitions for hope – I “hope” the Minnesota Twins will win the World Series next year, I “hope” I get something good for Christmas, on the one hand. On the other hand, we think of the hope of our faith that sustains us especially when things are difficult, because we know what Christ has already done for us on the cross and the empty tomb.  I was thinking about how “peace” also has at least two different meanings.  As a busy mom of two elementary school children whose husband works from home, I cherish the moments of “peace and quiet” that are rare these days.  Many of us struggle with anxiety and worries and seek inner peace through our faith, worship and prayer.  This is why Advent worship is so important for us – to pause and find our true peace in Christ especially when we are busy:  All is calm!  All is quiet!
    Then, there’s the peace that we heard about in our scripture readings for tonight, which is more about the end of conflict in human relationships – an outer, more global peace.  Ephesians says that Christ is our peace, he has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.  Christmastime can bring about this kind of peace in a special way; many of you probably know the story of the Christmas Truce between the British and the Germans in 1914 during World War I.  On Christmas Eve, as the British army approached German trenches, they heard the German soldiers singing carols.  This motivated both sides to meet in no-man’s land on Christmas Day to exchange gifts and play football together.  Regardless of side in the war, they were Christians celebrating Christ’s birth together, although the truce of course did not hold.  Christ brought them together in peace, even if only for a few days.
    Christ makes healing of seemingly impossible, broken relationships possible.  Christ makes strangers friends.  Just look at who he calls as his disciples – Simon the Zealot, and on the other end of the political spectrum, Matthew the tax collector.  In our world which still experiences way too much conflict, war, violence, and pain, we see glimpses of the glory and peace of God even still.  Where have you seen this kind of peace because of Christ bringing healing and wholeness?  I only took one semester of Hebrew in seminary, and I didn’t learn very much, but one of my favorite words is the Hebrew word for peace:  shalom.  The sense of the word is wholeness.  The Arabic equivalent is “salaam,” and in Arabic-speaking countries people greet one another with a blessing of peace, “Salaam Aleiku,” basically, “peace be with you.” We pass the peace with the same greeting on Sunday morning in worship not as a 2-minute stretch break to say hi to your neighbor and catch up but sincerely to share the peace of Christ.  The idea is that it happens before Holy Communion so that if you are in conflict with someone in your church you can be at peace with one another before coming to the altar.  This is the kind of peace we celebrate Christ bringing into the world; a sense of wholeness that whatever may be happening in the world around us, God’s will is that all will be well, and that God can use us as instruments of his peace, God’s shalom.
    When the risen Christ first appears to the disciples after his resurrection on that first Easter evening, the first words out of Jesus’ mouth are, “Peace be with you.”  Jesus’ death and resurrection brings about our wholeness, and promises to bring about the world’s wholeness – shalom, salaam.  He invites us to share his peace with a world in need, giving us the power of the Holy Spirit to do so.  May we go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.  Amen.