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December 27, 2006
Celebrating the birth of The Prince of Peace
Isaiah 9:6 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
This Christmas season Jesus' title Prince of Peace has been frequently in my thoughts. This war that our country has been embroiled in has also been weighing heavily on my mind. Every single person fighting in it is a child of God, a child of the Prince of Peace. Every person who has died, every family that has mourned the loss of a loved one, every baby born in the midst of gunfire and explosions, every teenager pointing a gun at another human being for the first time, every Iraqi, every Insurgent, every American, every Israeli, every Jew, every Muslim, every Christian, every Buddhist, every Hindu…
…and, yes, even every terrorist…
…every man, woman, or child that draws breath on this earth, is each a child of The Prince of Peace. Then why is it that we live in a society, in world, full of war and strife? Some say that if all religion was gone that the wars would end, but I've seen many fierce battles of words that have nothing to do with religion. God tells us in Exodus 20:3 (New International Version) "You shall have no other gods before me." Oftentimes we take this literally, thinking perhaps of stone idols, or old Greek or Egyptian gods, but we have other gods too. I've seen great battles fought, great hatred spewed, all in the name of a favorite computer or video game platform. "Windows SUCKS! Fine, keep using your Apple Macintrash then! The Sony Playstation 3 is garbage! The Nintendo Wii Rules!" If religion were gone we would create new religions, we would find new things to battle about. Perhaps it is evolution, perhaps the war gene will be wiped out as humanity keeps killing each other, but we've been killing each other for thousands of years. Since we came down from the trees, since we came fourth from the garden, as soon as we believed that something was more important than another human's life, we began killing. Whether it be approval or wealth, food or land, pride or prejudice, love or hatred, there will always be something inspiring people to take up arms against each other.
The Prince of Peace grew up from that infant born in a feeding trough in Bethlehem. In his ministry he said many profound and ground breaking things. One of which is the following:
Matthew 5: 43-47 (Paraphrased from The Message) "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer and meditation, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves...."
So much of this season is about gain. As consumers battle each other to buy presents, and corporations battle each other to sell more product, it's easy to forget those in a far off sandy region of the world who seek to gain freedom, or peace, or security for those they love. Every side of every war believes in what they fight and die for. Would it not be preferable to settle our disputes with words instead of guns and bombs, to kneel and pray together instead of burying our dead? To do that we have to be willing to listen as well as to speak. To receive peace you have to want peace. The Prince of Peace won't force himself upon you. You need to choose your path. If there is one prayer that I would ask you to say in honor of the Prince of Peace who's birth we celebrate this season, it would be this:
"May Peace Prevail On Earth"
The above is something that I wrote to be read before our gift exchange on Christmas eve. Normally I find something that someone else had written, but I couldn't find anything appropriate, so I wrote that instead.
Posted by Mike at December 27, 2006 8:23 AM
Comments
That is awesome. You should be a minister or something. It is really hard to love your enemies, especially when they are being mean for no other reason than personal gain and hurting innocent people in the process. You are right, though. I should pray every time they annoy me. I pray before I see them, does that count? lol.
Here's the problem with that as far as I see it politically. On the war, we have on our side a President that doesn't listen, and on their side, terrorists that don't listen. So I guess we have to wait until 2008. All we can do is pray that God makes everybody's ears bigger this holiday season.
P.S. RIP President Ford.
Posted by: Robyn at December 27, 2006 9:37 AM
Thanks Mike for this beautifully written expression of your thoughts and feelings! You are quite a guy!! Love 'ya lots 'n lots!!!
Posted by: macdad at December 27, 2006 11:28 AM
Happy New Year!!
Posted by: sally at January 2, 2007 1:44 AM
Mike,
This is so awesome. You write so well when expressing your thoughts and feelings. This says so much of what I agree with, and I loved the idea that you actually wrote it. I was so proud of you the night and morning you read this. Thank you so much for taking the time to compose this devotion. I love you so much.
Posted by: mom at January 3, 2007 12:29 PM
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