Sunday readings in brief 2 Advent A

Is 40:1-5.9-11; Ps 85; 2 Pt 3:8-14; Mk 1:1-8

The value of peace

My dear friends, today we begin the second week of Advent and the theme for the entire week is PEACE.  The readings are talking about preparing the way for the king of peace who is coming to us. Here are some questions that will help us to reflect this week. Is there peace in the world?  Is your country peaceful? Is there peace in your neighbourhood? Is your community living in peace? Is your family experiencing peace? Are you peaceful? Before we answer the above questions, we need to understand what peace means. What is peace? The question about peace is very general and the answers are as many as there are people in the world. The meaning of peace has become very diverse and people do not seem to agree on what peace is supposed to look like.  However, the question about peace, in my opinion, has to narrow down to the individual level. If the individual is peaceful, all that surrounds him or her will be peaceful.

The English dictionary gives various definitions of the term peace such as the absence of war, harmonious relationship, freedom from disputes, general security of public places, cease-fire, etc. Most of these definitions are deduced from prior situations of lack of peace. They are what we could call “negative definitions”. It means that the essence of peace is being derived from a negative reality that contradicts it. Perhaps this is why peace has become very elusive in the world. No one can achieve that which he or she does not know.  

Some people have never known peace in their lives because they were born in conflict-infested families, communities, neighbourhood, and countries. It becomes very difficult for someone to be peaceful if he or she has never known what peace is or what it looks like.

From the first reading, Isaiah is consoling the people of Israel who had experienced a lot of suffering. Someone is out there calling the people to prepare for the Lord of Peace. For the Lord of Peace to pass by, a lot needs to be done in preparation including, the filling of the valleys, flattening of the mountains and hills, straightening what is crooked, and leveling the uneven. This applies to us as individuals as well as communities. Maybe peace has been escaping us because we never prepared for it to settle in us or in our communities. Preparing for peace means seeking Justice. One reggae musician sings, “Everyone is crying for peace but no one is crying for justice”. Justice is the handmaid of peace. The individual cannot be peaceful if he or she feels violated and denied justice.

If I want to be peaceful as an individual, I need to fill the valleys of hatred that I have dug, flatten the mountains of vengeance, straighten those crooked and corrupt ways, and seek justice for the neighbour. The same applies to communities and nations. Conflicts are wrought by turmoil within the individual, which spills to the surroundings. It is even worse if that individual is a leader because the conflict within himself ends up spilling to the ones that he leads. This is why politicians and community leaders must understand and be peaceful themselves. But how can many of our leaders be peaceful if as soon as they are elected, they start poking the eyes of their opponents or competitors?

St. Peter is consoling those who have been waiting for peace for a long time and may be thinking that God does not mind them. Maybe you are one of those people who has experienced a lot of suffering and unending conflicts in your life. According to Peter, God is not limited by time or space. God does not operate as humans do. He does not act the way we want him to do. I have learned this in my mission. When you are a leader of many people and communities, you have to learn patience to bring peace to your people. Many times, parishioners come to my office or call me on the phone to complain about their leaders or fellow community members. Often, they want me to give a quick fix to the situation and even tell me what measures I should take. Some want me to expel, punish, and even excommunicate the accused even before listening to their side of the story. They expect me to act swiftly on their word and even threaten that things will become worse if I do not act. What these people forget is that all belongs to my flock and my mission is to make sure that none of them is lost. They do not know that Christian leadership should not break but repair what is broken. They forget that those who have gone astray are the ones who need more attention. I always take my time to explain to them the demands of the kingdom of God for the restoration of what is broken. It is for this very reason that Christ was born to us.  

St. Mark begins his Gospel by announcing that Jesus is the true Son of God and a king of peace. John the Baptist came to prepare the people to receive this kind of peace by making peace with their God and their neighbour. If we too want the king of peace to come and reign in our hearts and our communities, we need to prepare the way for him. It is like a river flowing near, if one wants some of that river to irrigate his or her garden, then he or she ought to make a farrow for the river to pass. If not, the river continues its way down undisturbed.

Dear friends, peace is the most precious thing in the world and cannot be achieved with weapons and shouting. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples, the first gift he gave to his disciples was the gift of peace. God is peaceful and we his creatures are called to live in peace. Maybe today I should ask myself a few more questions. What disturbs peace around me? Am I the cause of conflicts in my family or my community? What am I doing to make the world around me more peaceful? What do I need to know or do to achieve peace? Do I even understand what peace means?

If you are experiencing peace, I urge you to take notes because you do not want to forget what peace looks or feels like. If conflict is what rules your world, you need to come close to Jesus and ask him to teach you how to be peaceful. I am sure he will ask you to humble yourself and forgive all the grudges harbored in your heart. However, God is our peaceful Father who has given us free peace through his Son. Let us welcome this king of peace in our lives and ask him to share with us his peace.

Have a peaceful week.

Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD