Peace on Earth
The other day while walking through Two Harbors I spotted a sticker in the back window of a car. It was what is commonly called the "peace symbol." This symbol actually got its start as a symbol for Nuclear Disarmament, formed by combining the semaphore for "N" and "D." It's not a very old symbol, as symbols go, celebrating its 52nd birthday this coming February.
Written around this symbol were the words "Peace through Superior Firepower."
We are moving into the season where we celebrate angels singing over the plains "Peace on Earth" but I'm reminded by this sticker that peace can mean a lot of things. So the question of the moment for me is, what kind of peace?
For many the only imaginable peace is a peace that must be enforced by the threat of force. Some people hope for a Pax Americana harkening back to the Pax Romana, a period of some 200 years where Rome was the world's sole superpower and dominated all of the lesser forces into submission. This created a period of time where aqueducts and roads were built and commerce flowed freely around the Mediterranean. Likewise some hope that America, as a sole superpower, can by threat of arms create a world where infrastructure can flourish and economic forces can create wealth, if not for all, at least for some.
It was exactly this "peace" into which Jesus was born. This "peace" was really no peace at all. Otherwise, why would the angels hope for peace? This peace by brute force was simply domination in order to bring order, and that order was called "peace."
But the peace the angels proclaimed was not this kind of peace at all. Nor was it some kind of idyllic cessation of hostility among nations and people. It was a peace between God and humanity.
For we were and have been at war with God, in big and small ways. We declared the war when we, in the guise of Adam and Eve, tried to become gods ourselves. And that's been the struggle ever since.
In this ongoing conflict God declared an amnesty in the person of Jesus Christ and called us to lay down arms and stop our warring ways, because the war wasn't hurting God, it was hurting ourselves and each other and creation itself. We needed a different way, a different peace.
So, this Christmas, let us know peace. Let us know peace on Earth and celebrate God's goodwill to all.