The Peace Candle: An Advent Reflection

When God speaks in the middle of the night, it is best to listen! A few days ago, I woke early and didn’t yet want to leave my warm bed. I lay there running through several tasks that needed my attention that day. Suddenly I found myself waking up again with a clear message: “We walk humbly with a merciful God.”

So what is that about? What is God trying to tell me?

The chaos of the world seems overwhelming this Advent season. Even the choices for action seem daunting: do we light the second candle of Advent, the candle of peace, the Bethlehem candle or do we leave it unlit as an acknowledgement of the pain of war felt in Bethlehem this Advent? Some say leave it unlit to acknowledge the absence of peace. Others say light it to proclaim our belief in peace, and to shine a light of hope for the world.

There are no easy answers. Nor are the actions required of us absolutely clear. Each issue that pushes at us is complex and has many different choices. We do not live in an either/or world.

So how do we walk humbly with our merciful God? For me, the one clear answer is that I must remain on the journey with God – listening, praying, responding, holding others’ tears and pain, praying, sharing information, acting, praying… I do not get to push it all aside because it feels overwhelming. Advent is a time of preparation – a time to prepare ourselves to walk humbly with God.

Elsewhere in this newsletter you will find information on ways you can get involved in various issues – learning more, listening to others, holding another’s chaos in prayer and action.

The candle is both lit and unlit at the same time. We must be called to be people who hope and trust in God. But we also must call out the forces of evil that steal peace from the innocent.