Peacemaking

Sometimes, the stress and busyness of the Christmas season can sadly seem to bring out the worst in us. We have so much to do – so many gifts to buy, so many events to attend, so many people to contact – that our tempers may become a little unruly. At least, that is what occurred in a recent incident in which I reluctantly became involved.

I arrived late on the scene to find one person doing their best to arrange for our group to practise in a large lounge area for an upcoming event. However, another much smaller group already present had apparently objected strongly, as this would require them to move to a spot a few metres further away to continue chatting. There was plenty of room to do so, but one lady in particular decided to dig her heels in.

‘That man there was so rude,’ she fumed to me. ‘He calls himself a Christian, but the way he spoke to our group certainly didn’t seem too Christian to me! Anyway, why can’t they go and practise in their usual room? I think it’s disgusting!’

I hastily tried to take in what was occurring and decided the best approach would be to see if our group could indeed practise in our usual spot after all.

Eventually, after a quick combined effort on the part of various group members, that was arranged. We had our rehearsal in the smaller area, but I felt so unsettled by the offended lady’s words that I decided to return to the lounge to see if I could find her. She was still sitting there relaxing and beamed as soon as she caught sight of me.

‘Thank you very much!’ she said. ‘That was what should have happened in the first place.’

I understood where she was coming from but also knew the main reason the large practice area would have worked much better for us – and probably been safer too, considering the many people around nearby with COVID. I decided this lady needed to know why the spokesperson for our group had said what he had so explained his reasoning as gently as I could. She was not convinced, but her attitude seemed to soften as we chatted, and we parted as friends in the end.

This whole experience reminded me vividly of the power of making peace with others while we can – and as quickly as we can. While our group could perhaps have gone about things in a more sensitive, caring way, the other smaller group could definitely have been much more accommodating and far less petty and selfish! Yet what was there to gain in pursuing our cause? Only further dissension that could perhaps bring Jesus’ name into disrepute, in one lady’s eyes at least.

This Christmas, may we instead, in all our words and actions and however much others might offend us, truly honour our Saviour Jesus Christ, who came into this world to bring deep and lasting peace – peace between us and God, peace between us and others and peace deep within our own hearts too.

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

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Here, there and everywhere

I truly enjoy seeing other people’s holiday photos of beautiful places they have seen overseas and exciting experiences they have had. Not only does it give me an opportunity to share in all their joy, but it’s a little like taking a vicarious, cheap and hassle-free holiday myself! And of course I also love looking back through my own photos taken during overseas trips. What great memories they stir up, often so vivid that, in an instant, I am back in the exact spot where the particular photo was taken!

This past week, I spoke at a group where the topic was left up to me, so I decided to utilise some of my travel photos and create a talk entitled ‘From the ridiculous to the sublime—true travelling tales’! I focussed on four different categories of experiences I have had overseas—funny experiences, scary experiences, wonderful experiences and ‘God’ experiences, in that order. In each section, I managed to tell three or four stories, backed up by photos on power point, then asked those present to share a story of their own.

What fun I had, looking through all those old photos as I prepared and choosing which to use! I laughed out loud again when I found some taken in a Turkish village where my friend and I stayed for a few days. One night, we went to a local restaurant for dinner. The owner cooked us a beautiful meal, but when we went to pay, he told us he was too busy to take our money and asked if we could come back the next day to pay! Can you imagine an Australian restaurant doing that?

I looked through more photos and found one of my first visit to a beach in Turkey. I had wrapped my glasses in my towel and put a small rock on top before heading off to swim, but when we returned, I found the metal frames of my glasses had been moulded around the rock into a U-shape from the heat of the sun. I proceeded to bend them straight back into the right shape, but what a scary moment that was, considering they were the only pair of glasses I had with me in Turkey!

Other photos brought back wonderful memories of my first visit to Germany and also to England, both such surreal moments for me. I was reminded too of wonderful ‘God moments’—one in St Paul’s Cathedral, London, while contemplating the Holman Hunt painting ‘The Light of the World’ and another back in Turkey when God challenged me to start my writing journey. While reflecting on this last category of experiences in particular, the words of Psalm 139:7-10 came to mind:

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

What a gracious, almighty, loving God we have who is more than able to be here, there and everywhere at all times, watching over us in all our wanderings!

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Immanuel—God with us

Just think about it for a moment. This week, we remember an absolutely mind-boggling, earth-shaking event that will never cease to impact our world. As we sing about the Christ child born in a manger, we are acknowledging the fact that our Almighty God, Creator of the universe, chose to come to earth and be born as one of us. As Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, Jesus ‘did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness’.

How glibly the words of those Christmas carols can roll off our tongues and how easily we take this huge act of love for granted! Without that baby born in Bethlehem, we would all be lost—literally. ‘She [Mary] will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’, the angel told Joseph (Mt 1:21). Jesus, the Son of God and Saviour of the world, became Immanuel—God with us (Mt 1:23).

Out of love for us, God chose to send Jesus to reveal himself to us in human form. Jesus showed us what God the Father is like as he walked this earth, preaching the good news of salvation, healing the sick, driving out demons, raising the dead, teaching his disciples in word and deed how to live in the light of the new kingdom he came to establish. And when he died for us, he sent his Holy Spirit to be with us. Immanuel—God with us—forever.

One Christmas many years ago now, I was in a place of great indecision in my life, having taken on an exhausting job that did not fit me so well. I read again the beautiful words of Isaiah 9:6—For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I knew straight away I needed to cry out to God for all the guidance and resources I needed and that I could do that because Jesus had become flesh and understood all my dilemmas. And I knew that Immanuel, God with us, the Prince of Peace, would give me the peace I longed for.

Whether you are in a place of indecision or of peace in your life, may the words of Isaiah 9:6 speak to your heart today too, along with the following poem I wrote at that time:

Wonderful Counsellor, surround me with your wisdom.

My mind is tired, with indecision torn.

Where is the path prepared for me to follow?

I need you, Lord, to watch, to guide, to warn.

Almighty God, defend me with your power.

My weakness wins, my courage ebbs away.

O Holy One, great Lord of all creation,

For strength to stand secure I humbly pray.

Everlasting Father, how you love me!

I am your child, forgiven, forever free!

O hold me fast, transform me to your likeness,

Till men in me your face more clearly see.

Prince of Peace, bestow your calm assurance.

My heart is troubled, turmoil takes control.

O send your soothing Spirit to surround me.

Speak, Lord, till I am still within my soul!

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