"I heard the bells on Christmas day, their old familiar carols play, and mild and sweet their songs repeat of peace on earth, good will to all."
As you know, I believe that until all have Shalom, none truly have it.
Shalom, beyond just peace, is the completeness, wholeness and well-being in one's life that come from the "things that make for peace" - justice, equality, equity and the living of Agape Love with one another. If we do not have the conditions that make for Shalom in the world, we cannot and will not have peace in the world.
As the prophet Jeremiah lamented, "For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. They acted shamefully, they committed abomination; yet they were not ashamed, they did not know how to blush." (6:13-15; 8:11-12)
It is inequity that has caused for many in the world to have a lack of Shalom. Some glut themselves with abundance as others starve to death, die of thirst and suffer from curable diseases. Some have an abundance and hoard more than they will ever need for themselves, as others go without the basic needs to sustain their lives. Some believe themselves superior to others and thus entitled to more than others have, though the only truly exceptional quality they possess is their ruthlessness, lived out in greed, hatred, lust for power and desire for status.
It is inequality that has caused many in the world to have a lack of Shalom. Some believe themselves to be superior and thus entitled to respect, also to have the privilege of disrespecting others in the world around them. They often actively strive to hold others down, back and out from having what they need, just to prove their superiority. What they prove is their lack of humanity. What they prove is that their souls are dead or dying. There is tension, conflict and even war because others will not be treated shamefully without there being a reaction, resistance and even revolution, as our own history has shown.
It is injustice that has caused many in the world to have a lack of Shalom. Some have more and gain more because of the unjust economic systems designed for them to gain more at the expense of others. Some seem to be above the law and others have their lives destroyed by it because the unjust legal system is designed to benefit some and actively hurt others. Social norms and mores are built on some being pitted against others, which further creates tension, conflict and violence within society, because our unjust political system benefits those already in power who use hatred as the tool by which to keep it.
"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, Goodwill to all."
This Advent, perhaps we can look to the Prophets of old who railed against injustice, and to Jesus and the Gospels as an alternative and resistance to empire, so that all may have Shalom and that we may all have peace.
This Advent, perhaps we can look to the unjust economic, justice and political systems in our nation that benefit the few at the expense of the many, and strive to live in alignment with Jesus' fulfillment of the Law and Prophets in the Good News of social justice in this part of God's Kingdom, here and now.
This Advent, perhaps we can commit ourselves to welcome Jesus by opening our hearts and minds to those who Jesus loves, the downtrodden, marginalized, disenfranchised and most vulnerable. Perhaps we can even strive toward the living of Jesus' commanded Agape Love. Perhaps we can even strive toward making the things that make for Shalom our new norms and social mores, and thus be faithful to God in Christ Jesus. Perhaps we can get beyond vague concepts and theories, warm thoughts and good prayers to practice - the practice of living Agape Love - committed action on behalf of the other toward their Shalom (completeness, wholeness, well-being) in life.
Perhaps this Advent...
"Then rang the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead, nor does God sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail with Peace on Earth, Goodwill to all."
Perhaps this Advent...
Pastor Jamie
Beautiful!
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