Jenna Lindley

 

Luke 2:10-14, KJV

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

 

Reflection 

 

I recently attended a birthday party for my two-year-old goddaughter at Sur La Table. When I got the sparkly, pink paper invitation, I thought, “two-year-olds cooking?! This is going to be a disaster!” But much to my surprise, it wasn’t. Over the course of two hours, my goddaughter and her little friends cooked macaroni and cheese with broccoli, fruit parfaits, and cupcakes. The parents helped their daughters with each task while the girls listened and watched attentively following directions. These tiny tots weren’t aware of the danger most adults see when they enter a kitchen. They just saw a new and exciting opportunity. Most importantly, they trusted the teachers and their parents implicitly knowing they would protect and take care of them. Despite all the activity that was happening, a sense of peace filled the room. In that moment, I noticed that I longed for that kind of faith of my precious goddaughter and her friends- a faith that produces peace and enjoyment of what God has brought before me. I wished that I too could see the world clearly through God’s eyes instead of vision clouded by my own doubts and insecurities.

 

In today’s world, peace seems nearly impossible to find. And having faith that ‘everything is going to be ok’ is often infeasible. I struggle to find inner peace; I have fears and anxieties living in my head rent free. And it’s difficult to find peace with those who disagree with me or act in ways I don’t understand. It feels counterintuitive in our culture today to lead with forgiveness and compassion; however, it’s in dark times when we are called to be the Lord’s light. Because, without God, there is no peace. Without Jesus, I am just a sinner. Without the Lord, I am a wayward soul.  

Advent reminds us that before the cross, our Savior was babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Through the Christmas story, I am called to listen and trust the Lord. As a babe and man, Jesus was a true instrument of God’s peace, living for God’s will and not his own. It seems as though children have little fear and immense faith. While it could be said that adults often have immense fear and little faith. 

So, is finding peace possible? By asking God for peace of mind from chaos, peace to surrender to those things that cause us to suffer and remain conflicted, and peace to reflect on what God has blessed us with today and every day, I believe it is. It is by doing God’s will and not my own that I am offered inner and outer peace.

 

Prayer:

 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that I receive,

it is in pardoning that I am pardoned,

and it is in dying that I am born to eternal life.

Amen.

*Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi