Christmas declares ‘Glory to God and on earth, peace’. Peace, which is more

than just an absence of conflict, but rather everything being right and

good with the world, is what God intends for his world. But we know all too

well how peace-less the world can be: there’s a lack of peace globally, in

our communities, and in our own hearts and minds.

This is because the lasting peace Jesus promises is always dependent on

him. And without him, we can never experience the peace He brings. But when

we embrace Him as the center of our universe, our community, our personal

lives, he does what no-one else can do. He destroys the peacelessness that

afflicts us, and re-creates us so that we have peace with God, other people

and ourselves. This is the message of Christmas!

By Ed Flint