Possible Peace

I love Isaiah and his optimism, but it’s really hard to imagine the world he promises. In fact, it seems down right absurd that all of the weapons of the world would be turned into agricultural equipment and peace would follow. Have you watched the news lately? Syria, ISIS, Standing Rock, Hate Crimes? Where are those plows and pruning hooks, Isaiah? We really need those!

Despite the turmoil of the world around us, we still enter the Advent season. We are given a chance to walk in the light of advent, despite the darkness of the world around us, and I think that this is what Isaiah is actually calling us to do. To find peace in the midst of chaos—in the midst of war. To find peace, even when the world is shouting at us and we are afraid for the future.

Advent calls to us to find this peace, to find this light in the darkness, to listen to the promises of peace to come

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
and wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It’s a beautiful thought isn’t it? Getting lost in all of the familiar carols we love so much? The ones we just sang tonight? The ones we will be singing for the next few weeks? There is so much peace and joy and hope in those treasured melodies—each one reminding us that God is good, peace is possible, and telling the story of the child that changed everything. It’s comforting. It’s something to cling to.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow originally wrote these words in response to both national and personal tragedies suffered during the American Civil War. He is initially comforted by the Christmas hymns pealing from the belltower, but that comfort soon slips into reality.

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

The despair in these words is very real for me right now. I’m going through a personal upheaval right now and have been struggling to keep going, but beyond that I feel like we are living in a world where hate mocks the very values I hold most dear. Even if we are assured that God will win in the end, and that things will all be ok, it is hard to figure out how to find peace when the world seems to mock the notions of love, and charity, and equality.

I know this is a chaotic time of the year for you—it’s that dreaded in-between-thanksgiving and Christmas break time of last assignments, big presentations, and final exams. I know, in the craziness of these next couple of weeks, that the idea of finding peace may seem impossible.

But there are ways to get through it. There are ways to find peace. You’ve taken a good step by being here tonight—this service, and the other services offered at the chapel are a great opportunity to take a few minutes to center yourself in the light of God. Until snow covers it, there is the labyrinth, which is my personally favorite place to find peace. It takes about 20-30 minutes to walk all the way in and out, and I always listen to Be Thou My Vision on repeat as I walk though. Even if I am convinced I “don’t have time” to go out there, I am always more focused and more at peace when I finish.
You see, peace is possible even in the most dire circumstances.

Let me remind you of a story you’ve probably heard before. It was 1914, during the first World War, and British and French soldiers had been fighting a bloody battle against the Germans on Flander’s Field. As Christmas arrived, German troops began to put small Christmas trees, lit with candles, outside of their trenches. Then, they began to sing songs. Across the way, in the "no man's land" between them, came songs from the British and French troops. They would eventually share rations, exchange gifts, and even play soccer together before they were forced to resume fighting. Peace was possible in that moment- even in the middle of a great war.

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor does he sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men

Isaiah says we have to walk in the light anyway…and we must continue to long for and work for peace in the world. The prophet reminds us that eventually peace will come, the wrong in the world will fail, the right in the world will win out.

The most comforting thing that anyone has said to me, is that things will be ok- even if things don’t end up the way they should or the way we want them to, they will be ok- or we will find a way to make things ok. And I think that’s what Isaiah is really talking about here—that eventually it will work out—some way or another, we will find a way to be at peace with ourselves and with each other. Maybe this only works in a microcosm like Valpo, maybe it only works in our families, but I have hope that once we find peace within ourselves, we can start to work toward the things the world needs so that goodness and righteousness will prevail.

Then ringing singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men

Maybe we will never get to a world where all the weapons have been turned into farm equipment. This is our hope—that through our faith, through our prayers, through our continuous work for peace—that the world will turn—the darkness will turn to light and we will be able to walk in that light as Isaiah promised.