PEACE

 This is my Christmas message, of sorts, for 2020.  I give these thoughts to you because I am convinced that the Lord Jesus Christ, whose birthday we commemorate, wants to bless those who “bringeth good tidings (news), that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation” (Isaiah 52:7;).

We are all familiar with the Christmas story recorded in the Bible, from Luke, chapter 2, where an angel from the Lord appeared to some faithful shepherds who were watching over their sheep in the fields below Bethlehem and declared the birth, that day, of the Savior of the world. Accompanying this angel were “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying . . . peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). 

In years past, I sometimes received Christmas cards sent by Christian friends that had the word ‘Peace,’ alone with no punctuation mark following, on the outside of the card. The inside of the card was left blank for the sender’s message. I wondered, Is my friend sending a proclamation, or a declaration, or a question . . . or a plea?;  an exclamation mark, a period, or a question mark, or a sigh?  Too often all I got was a variation of the message, “happy holidays.”  Thank you, but it missed the point. 

As this year 2020 drags to an end, for many who have had their life altered by the outfall of the recent pandemic there has been no peace—only uncertainty, anxiety, disruption, unemployment, confusion, and discouragement.  Add to that the ‘social noise’ of divisive politics by those elected to represent us, name-calling and accusations, riots in the streets, and many other self-and-society-fragmenting influences in the media and in a morally bankrupt ‘entertainment’ industry.

Peace?

What then did the angels mean?  What did they not mean?

Let me begin with what “peace” means.  I like the definition given by the ancient historian Sextus Empiricus: “an untroubled and tranquil condition of the soul; the hope of attaining quietude.” This is the opposite of what many this year have experienced. 

Although great minds have contemplated international peace, interpersonal peace, and innerpersonal peace, all that most of mankind has known is conflict.  Though strife and disquietude has been the lot of most, God, our Heavenly Father, has provided men with the means whereby they could know peace if they would—but they would not; they wanted it “my way,” as Frank Sinatra sang with existential angst, and that the modern world has bought into.  The humanistic mind has rejected God and looked forward to ‘X-mas.’ Man does not live by ‘X-mas’ presents alone.  But he can live by Christmas: God the Father’s gift to us, of Christ, who is the man of peace incarnate. 

No, it cannot come, “my way,” Mr. Sinatra (an interesting name). 

And so, God, by contrast, has provided us with a comforter, a redeemer, a message and His  plan of peace and salvation, but which could come only by His way, and His way was through Christ, whose birth we celebrate but whose mission many really do not contemplate.  One cannot really celebrate Christmas without celebrating Christ.  Genuine peace was and is inextricably dependent upon Him. 

So how do we get it?

“Learn that he who doeth the works of righteousness shall receive his reward, even peace [meaning internal peace] in this world, and eternal life in the world to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:23).

Isaiah called this child who was born a little over 2000 years ago, “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).  In fact, when He comes again He will not only be the Prince [promise] of Peace, but will be the “God of the whole earth . . . " (Isaiah 54:5), and Lord of Lords. 

John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way before the Lord, said He [the Lord] would “. . . give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:79).

In the last discourses the mortal Lord gave to His apostles, Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you . . . “ John 14:27).   

As He concluded these discourses, the Lord declared: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might [I desire for you to] have peace . . . [although] in the world ye shall have tribulation. . .” (John 16:33).  The angels at Christ’s birth did not mean a peaceful world, though that would be most desirable and will one day come.  But for now, and for the past 6,000 years it has been a fallen world though soon that will end. 

The apostle Paul said, “In Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off [gave little thought to] are made nigh [near] by the blood of Christ [through His atonement by which He ransomed us]. For He is our peace. . . and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ephesians 2:13-20).  Just as God is love, so His beloved Son is peace.

Paul also said, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). 

The angels, at His birth annunciation, therefore meant Peace is Christ. 

Is not Peace, not only in this world but in the world to come, one of God’s greatest gifts to us? 

It—He—surely is.