The Seventh Hope, The Hope for Peace

O come, O King of nations, bind

in one the hearts of all mankind.

Bid all our sad divisions cease

and be yourself, our King of Peace.

Peace is rare. Division reigns in our world. Nations rage against nations; politics and ideologies divide countries, communities, and families. The current conflict in the Holy Land forced the cancellation of Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem. Personally, the volume of media, instant searches, and artificial intelligence numbs one's ability to focus and think, hindering interpersonal communication and simple dinner conversation. We live in a historical moment where our divisions define and drive us as humans and as Christians. Our Advent journey brings us to the final and seventh hope, the hope for peace.

The baby born in a manger in Bethlehem is the Messiah, the Lord, our peace. Jesus is our hope for peace, a peace that is far more than the absence of conflict or division. God's economy connects the concepts of justice and peace, creating our rich understanding of shalom. In the presence of shalom, one experiences both justice and peace. The connection between the hope for justice and the hope for peace results in human flourishing. Human flourishing occurs as God brings all things into alignment (peace) with how He intends (justice) life to be.

The hope for peace is a hope for everything in life and creation to reflect God's goodness. Shalom expands our experience of peace into four areas of life—peace with God, peace with ourselves, others, and creation. Jesus provides reconciliation with God and leads us toward restoration personally, relationally, and with creation because Jesus himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14). Jesus is our ultimate peace as, through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, he reconciles us to God, adopts us into the family of God, and sanctifies us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The hope of peace at Advent is good news because peace with God brings restoration within us and a mission to let everyone know about our hope in Jesus (1 Peter 3:15).

Paul reminds us of our hope for peace at Advent: "Again it says, Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people! And again, Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples praise him! And again, Isaiah says, The root of Jesse will appear, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; the Gentiles will hope in him. Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:10-13, CBS). Humanity's rebellion against God, our sin, is at the heart of human divisiveness. Jesus, our hope of peace, has rescued and redeemed us. We are no longer God's enemies (Romans 5:10), and in Christ, we have been made new (2 Corinthians 5L17). One day, everything will be new, and God will live among us and be our God (Revelation 21:1-4). Until that day, God brings shalom, the hope for peace, into the world, inviting God's children (John 1:12) to proclaim the good news of great joy: Jesus, our peace has come.

"That night, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased" (Luke 2:8-14, CSB).

" How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" The voices of your guards— they lift up their voices, shouting for joy together, for every eye will see when the Lord returns to Zion.

Be joyful, rejoice together, you ruins of Jerusalem! For the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has displayed his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God" (Isaiah 52:7-10, CSB).

"When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about" (Luke 2:15, CSB).

Refrain:

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

shall come to you, O Israel.