Advent—Peace
The world is often noisy, filled with breaking headlines, buzzing phones, endless responsibilities, and restless hearts. It can feel like standing in the middle of a storm with winds pulling us in every direction. And yet, in the middle of chaos, there is a stillness, a quiet center where we can rest. This is the peace of Christ.
Advent invites us to remember that
Jesus is our peace.
He is our peace in the midst of confusion, trauma, trial, and tribulation.
He is our peace in the midst of everyday life as we balance family, work, community, and church.
His peace grounds us in our true identity as the beloved of Father, Son, and Spirit.
And the peace of Christ doesn’t stop there. It calls us to look forward—to a time when all will be at peace. This peace is more than the absence of conflict. It is a state of wholeness, calm, and deep connection to God and one another.
As we light the second candle of Advent, we ask:
Where do you need the peace of Christ most in your life right now?
How might you share his peace with someone else this week?
1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.
Isaiah 11:1–10 (NIV)
In this second week of Advent, may we rest in the peace of Christ—peace that calms our hearts, restores our relationships, and points us to the wholeness of God’s coming kingdom.
