Sermon: “…to guide our feet into the way of peace”

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 1:68-79

I quite like receiving those emails that get sent on from various sources – often they are quite inspiring and I sometimes read them out for the Bright Spot at Crafty Fingers. One I used earlier this year was a warning of a powerful virus spreading in epidemic proportions - a virus is called “Inner Peace.” Be on the alert, it says, for symptoms of inner peace that could pose a serious threat to what has, up to now, been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world. Some signs and symptoms of inner peace:

• A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences.
• An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.
• A loss of interest in judging other people.
• A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
• A loss of interest in conflict.
• A loss of the ability to worry.
• Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation. Contented feelings of connectedness with others and nature.
• Frequent attacks of smiling.
• An increasing tendency to let things happen rather than make them happen.
• An increased susceptibility to the love extended by others as well as the uncontrollable urge to extend it.

If only we could believe this is true! Tonight at Sunday@seven we are going to be looking back over the year and reflecting on issues and events that have shaped the year – as I’ve been doing some research in preparation I’m wondering if it will leave us with a greater feeling of despair than inner peace.

The word most often translated as “peace” in the Hebrew bible is the word “shalom”

But “shalom” means more than “peace”. A fuller definition would include words like well-being, completeness, wholeness, perfection, health, security.

You probably know that the word “Shalom” is used as a greeting and a farewell by those who speak Middle-Eastern languages today. So if you were to go to the Middle East--whether in a time of peace or during a time of war–probably the first and last words you would hear spoken to you would be the word, “Shalom!” Whether by Hebrew-speaking Jews or Arabic-speaking Muslims, the word one uses to greet a friend or say goodbye is nearly the same: “Shalom” “Peace to you, health and well-being, peace and security!” Is it ironic, or is it a reason for thankfulness and hope that in one of the most violent places in our world such a peaceful word is used so routinely.

For most of us, “peace” or “shalom” is taken for granted. Yet peace is one of the messages of Advent that we celebrate each year. It is a message we need to hear, we need to be reminded about. So when the bible readings set for the church to consider each Advent season are read again, we need to take note. We are hearing God’s word, not just for Israel in the 6^th century before Christ, not just for Palestine in the last days before the coming of Jesus, but God’s word that is for us too. For us here in Canberra as well as in places round the world where violence is a way of life. Both readings we heard today are prophetic words – from the OT prophet Isaiah and the NT prophet Zechariah. We need to hear these prophetic words over and over again. Walter Brueggemann speaks of one of the tasks of biblical prophets as being “Prophetic energizing” - presenting an alternative consciousness in the midst of times of despair that can energize the community to fresh forms of faithfulness and vitality. Isaiah had a message of good news, that is, a gospel message for those who mourn in Zion. It was a message that God was coming to intervene, a message that would result in hope and joy – like the joy of a wedding. And at the beginning of Luke’s gospel Zechariah’s message is also of the intervention of God – God’s promises being fulfilled in the child of light who will come to guide the feet of his people into the way of peace.

We don’t recognize prophets so easily now, although it is a good question to ask where our prophets are today. But we can listen for the good news of God’s intervention – we can open ourselves to stories such as we have heard today - stories of peace at work in our local community as well as overseas. Many of our young people are wearing white Micah Challenge armbands again this weekend – reminding us that the World Trade Organisation meets in the coming week in Hong Kong. Will they take note of the urgent need to bring about just and fair conditions so that shalom is a reality for all - well-being, completeness, wholeness, perfection, health, security.

In the passage that was read from Isaiah the prophet likens the growth of justice and righteousness to the growth of plants in a garden. The fact that we have mown our lawns more in the last month that in the last three years notwithstanding, we don’t often take up the challenge to watch the grass grow. It is a slow and seemingly uneventful process. And yet, with favourable conditions such as we have had recently – plenty of warm sunshine and plenty of rain – growth is abundant. There must have been good conditions when Isaiah was in prophetic energizing mode because images of shalom tumble out:

Good news

Binding of wounds

Liberty for captives

Comfort for those who mourn

Praise instead of weakness

Rebuilding where things are broken

New plants sprouting up in the garden

Saving from enemies

No fear

Light in our darkness

Another image not in our readings but in our consciousness at this time are the promises brought to life through the birth of children. Elderly barren Elizabeth whose child was to pave the way. Humble Mary whose child was the bearer of salvation.

Our call as the followers of this child is to bring about favourable conditions in which peace can grow. It may not be as fast as the images in Isaiah would suggest. But if the seeds are there and are planted and nurtured Isaiah’s words tell us that “the Lord God will cause growth to spring up.”

Creating favourable conditions takes us back to that inner peace virus: remember?

• loss of interest in judging other people.
• A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.
• A loss of interest in conflict.
• A loss of the ability to worry.
• learning to feel appreciation. and connectedness with others and nature.

But it is more than that too. It is living in ways that seeks good for others, even though that might be costly for us.

Our advent hymns and readings speak of the child who will be the prince of peace. But the other classic passage that pictures Jesus as the man of peace is the Palm Sunday story. When Jesus rode into town on a donkey, without a saddle, without any armour or conquering weapons, he was consciously overturning the expected Messianic image of the conquering king. This was a planned act of non-violence. He knew that by entering Jerusalem he would be compelled to face his opponents. For him the path to peace would involve risk, pain, and ultimately death.

And yet the stories tell us that he received a rousing welcome - because the people had seen him in action, had received the comfort he brought, had heard his promises to the poor and underprivileged of a place in God’s kingdom, and had been a person in whom God’s acceptance was tangibly felt. They knew he was a person who radiated calm and represented true peace.

Our world is in need of messengers of peace. Because the reality is that many live in conflict, in material and social disadvantage. I read about a woman who called herself “the Lord’s donkey”. She considered herself just a humble believer, but carried her faith and her mission wherever she was sent. We are needed to carry Jesus and his message of peace into the world, so that the prophetic words that God is intervening in our time too can be clearly heard.

Our next hymn is a new one to many of us, but a wonderful expression of the advent message that Jesus was the peace child, the go-between of God. And on the day after International Human Rights Day, what a goal to attain to – that this year Christmas might come for Everyone!

Jeanette Mathews - Canberra Baptist Church December 11th 2005