Happy Friday! The weekend is only hours away! Many of us will spend this weekend attending holiday parties, finishing up some Christmas shopping, or preparing for finals. Whatever it is you’re doing this weekend, I hope you’ll hit pause for a moment and celebrate true PEACE. The Advent devotional for today written by Till Meyn is a wonderful way to do just that. Till is Associate Professor of Music Theory and Composition, and also serves as the Special Assistant to the Dean for Community Relations here at TCU. Always smiling, always cheerful – Till is an all-around kind and good soul. His profound and insightful words are a wonderful companion for us today on our journey through Advent.
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An Advent Devotional, by Till MacIvor Meyn
Isaiah 55, verse 12: “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.”
As New Year’s Eve approaches every late December, CNN and other networks broadcast their year in review. They count on viewers tuning in to recall the tumultuous events of the past 365 days, all of them dramatic, and many of them shocking or heartbreaking. This December, we will likely be reliving the terror of the Paris attacks, the tragedy of the Syrian refugee crisis, the horror of school and church shootings, and the upheaval in the Ukraine, among many others.
We can’t put our heads in the sand and pretend these events didn’t occur, but I believe that it is our duty to temper the negative with the positive, to balance the bad with the good. Amidst all the strife and war in our world and in our nation, there is also peace.
This year, we have seen the spirit of peace in many different guises: In the democratic election of Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar; in Pope Francis’ historic visits to South America, Cuba, and Africa; in the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the United Nations; and through many other events around the globe.
As we reflect on all of the things that are happening both at home and abroad, we should also consider the power of peace that each of us possesses. Sometimes it’s the little things we do that can help foster peace in our communities: Lending a hand to someone who needs support; letting a driver on the freeway merge into our lane; sitting down with a student to talk about life.
We may not, individually, be able to effect world-wide peace this Christmas season, but imagine what we can do together if we focus on the good, and on the power of peace.
Lord, give us the courage to love our enemy; open our ears to joyful song; enlighten our lives with the peace of your spirit. |
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