Reflection For December 13

I took a walk on Monday to get away from everything, and I started thinking about how calm I felt. I started pondering the definition of peace with God and peace in general. The Biblical idea of peace is a holistic state of well-being that is deeply rooted in God. It is a reconciliation between God and humanity achieved through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The general definition of peace is freedom from disturbance and getting away from stuff. While this offers temporary calmness and serenity, this circumstantial peace often fails to sustain us through anxiety, stress, and fear. The one who can offer true, lasting peace to us is Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Pastor Jason used the powerful imagery of a plant growing through a stump. This image is set against the judgment on Judah, whose nation was being 'chopped down' like a forest due to the unfaithfulness of its leaders. The plant growing from the stump signifies a glimmer of hope and a new beginning, pointing directly to the Messiah. Isaiah 11 is about this coming Messiah who will bring peace and justice, restoring the world from danger to safety, from fear to peace. As Isaiah 9:6 confirms: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” I liked the example of Horatio Spafford who wrote the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” after the loss of his four daughters. His story illustrates that peace is not the absence of trials, but a grace from God that carries us through every circumstance. Even in suffering, the Prince of Peace (Jesus) holds us fast. Peace is a supernatural gift, a grace from God that carries us through circumstance—and its source is in the Messiah and who has come in Jesus Christ! May peace be with everyone as we move through this advent season. Reflections from Deborah Kelly. Share your reflections with deborah@rbcommunity.org and let me know your thoughts.