Jesus is the prince of peace

Monika turned her face towards Christ Jesus to escape the turmoil of life within and around. To her utmost joy, she received the gift of peace, which lit a candle of love, faith, joy and hope and ushered her into areas of conflict resulting in healing and wholeness. Needless to state, our world is in deep conflict; research informs that majority of the world population is affected by death due to covid either in family or in our circle of contacts. Let’s not forget the suffering in particular of children, caused by nations in conflict.
Monika receives inspiration from the life of Gideon. When God’s people, because of prosperity and complacency, did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, they went into captivity and faced oppression. Then God raised a panicked and trembling Gideon to lead His people out of oppression. Gideon hesitated and asked God for a sign which God graciously gave him (Judges 6). Shouldn’t Gideon have trusted God’s word rather than ask for a sign?
Gideon reacts with wonder and worship to the miraculous sign. When Gideon became aware that he had seen the Lord face to face: “Then the Lord said to him, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it “The Lord Is Peace” (Judges 6:24). Like Gideon, God also gives us His peace through Jesus to engage in people’s deliverance from the bondage of sin and evil structures.
Jesus is called the prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). He breaks down the walls of enmity and unites us as one new humanity. Jesus is our peace with God, with one another and with ourselves. His presence emits the light of love, forgiveness and healing amidst the suffering world we live in. Let’s begin our Christmas celebrations as God’s ambassadors of peace and reconciliation.