All We Are Saying by Don Davidson
“Just give me a little peace and quiet around here”. That’s how my mother would answer us when, as children, we asked her what she would like for Christmas. I’m not sure that she got what she was asking for, though. Still… Peace on earth is near the top of everyone’s list during this season. And in places where bombs and bullets regularly fly, it is a prayer whispered on the lips of parents and little children every day.
The angels promised it in their big announcement in the skies over Bethlehem long ago.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14), were their words, and the dream was born right then that such a thing could possibly be.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace, of course, so a personal relationship with Him is obviously the place to start. That brings forgiveness, comfort, guidance and inner serenity– things that the world cannot understand, perhaps, but neither can they take away from you.
The kind of peace that people are hoping for, however, and what negotiations and summits of world leaders are designed to find, will only ultimately come when Christ returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
In the meantime, what peace there can be is what Christians should pursue on a daily basis.
“Blessed are the peacemakers”, Jesus said ( Matthew 5:9).
“if it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”, Paul taught (Romans 12:17). And what a tall order that is!
It means we try our best to get along with the folks closest to us, at home and on the job. And that we try just as hard to help others resolve their conflicts ( Phil.4:2,3). We don’t fan the flames or fuel the fire– we seek for understanding and reconciliation. We stay informed, too, about crisis spots around the world and we pray and advocate for peace rather than war as much as we can.
Being a follower of Jesus means that we care about the things that mattered most to Him while He was on this earth. And that we become Spirit- led extensions of Him as we move through our lives moment by moment. His arms and legs– His body– at work in the world.
It’s a prayer that we ourselves have a part in answering.
Don Davidson is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Alexandria, ministering in Northern Virginia.
