Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with each one of us | Opinion

I love Christmas. I believe and love the message that it brings and the feeling of good will that comes along with it. So, as we celebrate this sacred holiday, I am thinking a lot about the word “peace.” To me, peace is connected to Christmas by an unbreakable bond. It is a peace that lies inside each of us. It is the peace that makes us want to reach out to others in a loving and compassionate way; a peace that makes us respect each other and each other’s beliefs.

While we may not know the exact day of Jesus’ birth, we believers think that it was around this time of the year, more than 2,000 years ago, when in the wee hours before dawn, the miracle of the Birth of Jesus happened.

The news of His birth was heralded by an angel to a group of lowly shepherds who watched their flocks of sheep on a lonely hillside in Bethlehem. The angel of the Lord brought this message to the shepherds:

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord… And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men…”

It is ironic that today, as we celebrate Christmas, we do so in a world filled with turmoil and strife. There is war in the Ukraine and unrest in places like Iran and Haiti, and in nearly every other corner of the earth. We live with the threat of war as North Korea continues to test rockets and other weapons detrimental to life.

Even as we sing “O, Little Town of Bethlehem” today in our worship services, some of our Jewish brothers and sisters in parts of Israel are scrambling to find safety in bomb shelters, as missiles and bombs burst around them.

Wars and rumors of even more wars spreading like wildfires. In our own country nearly two years ago, we were just a split- second away from having our democracy snatched away by a civil disturbance.

So, where is the peace promised to us, you ask?

Let me encourage you. While the outlook might seem dismal, cheer up. There is a remedy. The peace that the Bible speaks of is the peace that can be found inside each of us. First, each of us should take a personal inventory of our life. We are responsible for the way we treat others. We need to practice patience.

There will always be unrest in the world. There will always be seasons where people will fine reasons to hate each other, and ways to sow the seeds of malice, resulting in hateful acts against each other. We see it every day in cases of road rage. Yet with all the unrest that is going on around us, the Bible tells us that Jesus came to bring us peace.

I believe that the peace spoken of in the Bible is an individual peace. This kind of peace is achieved only by our belief and faith in the Giver of peace — our heavenly Father. The peace He gives is a peace that surpasses all our understanding. Yet it is real and deep settling.

Thinking about faith and the peace that comes from above, the faith of our Jewish brothers and sisters come to mind. Their story of Hanukkah and the oil that was supposed to last only one night, but lasted a full eight nights, is a story of faith and what miracles are wroth when we place our trust in an unfailing God.

To me, it is no incident that Hanukkah and Christmas are celebrated so close together. As we — Christians and Jews — wish each other Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, we are reaching across the aisle of separation to spread peace and good will.

The stories of Christmas and Hanukkah give us renewed hope. And renewed hope reminds us that we are, indeed, our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

Today as we celebrate the Prince of Peace’s birthday, let us do so with a sense of peace and hope; hope in our fellow human beings; hope for a better world and faith in the Giver of peace. To me, this sums up the real meaning of Christmas.

So, my friends — both Christians and Jews, while it is wonderful to be able to give and receive commercial gifts, the greatest gift doesn’t cost a penny. It’s called Peace and Goodwill.

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to you!

Bea Hines can be reached at bea.hines@gmail.com