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    Dec 06, 2015

    Imagine Peace: The Baby Came to Bring Peace

    Imagine Peace: The Baby Came to Bring Peace

    Passage: Luke 1:78-79

    Speaker: Rev. Vivian McCarthy, Pastor

    Series: Imagine

    Category: Advent

    Keywords: advent, devotions, hope, malaria, peace

    Jesus came to bring Peace. Families around the world long for peace. Today's scripture links compassion and peace. As disciples, we can act to bring Christ's peace to our own homes and to families that live in fear..

    Imagine for a moment that one of those children we talked about last week – your child, your grandchild, any child that is deeply loved by you – imagine for a moment that child taking ill.  Imagine a fever that is climbing – 100 – 101 – 103 – 104.  What would you do?  What would you spend?  What would you say to the doctor?

    Now imagine that there is nothing you could say that would make a difference.  You recognize the disease – the one that has visited so many of your friends’ homes and robs families of 1 in 5 children.  The one that robs mothers of the energy and will to live.  The one that prevents fathers from earning a living.

    Now imagine how you feel when your family receives a bed net to protect you and the children while you sleep.  Imagine the peace that comes when the doctor has access to the medication that will protect them when they are bitten by the deadly mosquitos that are everywhere.  Imagine the peace of learning how to prevent the mosquitos from breeding in the small pools of water in the streets or around the village water pump.

    Imagine peace. 

    As we wait for the coming of the Christ Child, peace is one of the 4 things we long for.  Grateful for the glimpses of peace that come to us in our daily lives, we still long for that deep peace promised in the scriptures.  Peace that passes understanding.  Peace on earth, goodwill to all.  Scripture is filled -- from Genesis to Revelation -- with God's vision for creation, including for God's people, that all of creation would dwell in peace.  Here are just a few passages that capture that vision of peace:

    • The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29) 
    • I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.  (Psalm 4) 
    • You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. (Isaiah 55)
    • Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. (John 14)

    And did you really hear the scripture for today?  Zechariah, struck dumb when he didn’t believe that he and Elizabeth would finally have a child, and still unable to speak 8 days after the child’s birth, is asked what the child is to be named.  After all, this is his first child and should bear his father’s name according to custom.  Elizabeth has said the child’s name is to be John – surprising everyone within earshot!

    Filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah speaks for the first time in months, praising God, expressing his deep joy and sharing a prophetic word about his son’s purpose in life:  going before the Lord to bring salvation to the people – saving God’s people.  And this is what he says:  You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.

    The tender mercy – the compassion of God will guide us into peace.

    Peace is coupled with compassion.  As we wait this Advent season, may our compassion lead to peace within and peace for those who live in fear.

    Imagine peace.