Advent (Part 4)

We lit the Peace candle this week. When I think of peace, these lyrics from U2's song "Peace on Earth" immediately pop into my head.

Heaven on Earth
We need it now
I'm sick of all of this
Hanging around
Sick of sorrow
Sick of pain
Sick of hearing again and again
That there's gonna be
Peace on Earth

I think this song sticks in my head because it resonates so close to home for me. I'm sick of sorrow, sick of pain, sick of hearing that there's going to be peace on earth. I'm sick of cancer. I'm sick of poverty. I'm sick of abortion. I'm sick of suicide. I'm sick of depression. I'm sick of peace on earth being a future hope, why can't it be a current reality?

If Jesus is Lord and Jesus is the prince of peace, then where is it, where is peace? Honestly. This is just one among a long list of questions I wrestle with. Now, I know what I would tell people if I were asked this question: that a relationship with Jesus gives us the peace we need now and that the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God is what will ultimately lead to peace on earth in the future.

The answer may be theologically correct (and I'm aware its just scratching the surface)but it just seems like there should be greater peace on earth than there currently is. I mean when is the human race ever going to get "being human" right?

Peace, there seems to be such a huge gap between the "now" and the "yet to come." I don't like the gap and there's only so much I can do about it. I guess that's the good news, that there is something I can do about. What if all the churches in the nation, no, in the world, were to rise up and do something about the lack of peace on earth? What would it look like for millions of Christians to say "I don't like the gap between what is happening now and the way things should be, so I'm going to do my part to fill in the gap?"

May you be sick of the way things are and do something to bring peace on earth during this advent season.