The One of Peace
Dr. Jim Wilson, December 20, 2009 It was one of those unforgettable moments. On a late January morning in 1995, I found myself standing in Mange Square just outside the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Char and I were traveling with Bishop Duecker and about 150 pilgrims from the Northern Illinois Conference. The emotions grew as we made our way into the Church of the Nativity through the Door of Humility, about 4 feet high, built to prevent enemies from riding their horses into the Church. The Church of the Nativity is constructed over the cave where tradition says Jesus was born. Once inside, we descended the spiral staircase several levels to the Grotto of the Nativity. The cave itself is about 10’ by 30’. Magnificent mosaics cover the walls, along with a few beautiful tapestries. In the very center is a large silver star bearing the inscription, “Here of the Virgin Mary Jesus Christ was born.” Over the star, hang fifteen ornate lamps, 6 belonging to the Greeks, 5 to the Armenians, and 4 to the Latins, reflecting the divided, and often contested, ownership of the Church. While I realized in my head, that this may or may not be the actual place Jesus was born, still in my heart this was an overwhelming moment---to think I was standing at least in proximity of the place where Christmas happened, where God was born among us. These emotions received another jolt when a group of Australian pilgrims began singing “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” There was an inexplicable sense of peace in the room. People from all over the world gathered in worship in this particular place. Fast forward now some 11 months to Christmas Eve 1995. It was a day of joyous celebration in the little town of Bethlehem. That day Israel officially turned over control of the city to the Palestinians as part of a peace process. Palestinian Christians gathered that night to celebrate Christmas. It was a poignant moment. For the first time in Bethlehem’s long history, it was a self-governing entity. Gone were the Israelis, the Jordanians before them, the British, the Ottoman Turks, and the Romans. At Redeemer Lutheran Church, just off Manger Square, the crowds came early. Candles were lit and people sat in expectant silence. Dignitaries were seated. The Lutheran Palestinian Bishop from Jordan brought greetings. Suha Arafat, wife of the Prime Minister, and her entourage arrived. Gifts were exchanged and the service began in English, German and Arabic. At one point, the wife of the pastor stood up to sing. It was quickly apparent that she had little, if any, training. Yet the tone was mellow, if wavering. The notes were hesitant but the spirit was firm. Tears coursed down the faces of all present who heard these words as if they had never heard them before:
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie! Indeed, the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee this very night! Now rewind back some 2000 years and imagine a young couple arriving in this sleepy village. She is about to give birth and he is worried about where they will spend the night. Bethlehem is not a holiday destination for Joseph and Mary. They are forced to come here. The city, indeed Israel itself, suffers the burden of Roman oppression. They’re in Bethlehem because they have to fill out the “long form” of the Roman census. It was not a time of peace, despite Roman claims. You know the story: a crowded village, a full inn, a birth in a stable. So it is in the crude circumstances of history, in as insignificant, jerkwater town, out behind the inn, the Messiah was born. Rewind once more, 750 years earlier to the mid-eighth century B.C. Judah and Bethlehem once again are occupied. Jerusalem is under siege by Assyria. The puppet King Hezekiah, like his predecessor Ahaz, is a powerless failure, even to the point of being slapped across the face by the enemy, the ultimate insult. Now hear the voice of the prophet Micah pronouncing judgment on Judah for its social injustices. Micah, like his contemporaries Isaiah of Jerusalem, Amos, and Hosea, indicts Judah for the exploitation of the poor, especially the rich and powerful stealing the land of the widows and the poor; the corruption of the courts; and the delinquencies of the religious leaders. He announced that God would judge Judah and punish her with military defeat followed by years in exile. So the prophet warns through the first 4 chapters. Then, once again, there is an abrupt change. As we pick up the story in Chapter 5, Micah’s message has changed to a word of hope, the promise of a new leader, who like David will come from tiny, insignificant, out-of-the-way Bethlehem to bring a new day. The present may be one of suffering and pain, but like a woman in labor, new life is about to break forth; like a people returning from exile, a new future is being formed. That new day and that future will be inaugurated by a new leader, chosen by God, born in Bethlehem, and reflecting God’s purpose. So it is, this tiny, insignificant back water town is once again the birthplace of a great leader. Once again, as is so often the case, when God chooses to do something great, human estimates of status, size, power, and influence are completely irrelevant. In fact, God often seems to deliberately choose the one we would probably dismiss as the most unlikely candidate for carrying out God’s mission. What will this new leader do? Micah is clear. He will lead in the strength of the Lord, not on his own authority or in his own power. In that strength he will stand and feed his flock; that is, care for Israel. And Israel will dwell secure, for he shall be great, a reflection of God’s power and steadfast love. Therefore, all threats from other nations will disappear. Above all, he shall be recognized as the “One of Peace,” the One who both is and brings God’s shalom---God’s peace, well-being, safety, security, prosperity, and hope for Israel and the world. This is the primary characteristic of the new leader; he establishes God’s peace. If that sounds somewhat political to you, you are hearing the prophet correctly. The words of the prophet, as well as the story of Christmas itself are politically charged. Both announce God coming to us as One who will bring salvation, the Messiah who will set people free, who will turn upside down the present order, who will inaugurate peace, peace not only to us as individuals but peace to the whole world. There are political implications to this Gospel. That is the reason Herod wants to kill him, the Romans fear him, the Jewish religious leadership want to get rid of him. Now I realize you probably would prefer to keep Christmas a more sentimental, somewhat personal celebration, hearing about a baby and shepherds and angels. In other words, a rather tame event. But the implications are political. God comes in the child of Bethlehem to bring peace, God’s shalom, in this One to whom Micah points. These contrasting views were played out in 1995 when Charles Schultz, the creator of the PEANUTS cartoon was asked to create a TV special. Schultz and the producers laid out the basics of the program in a few hours---an ice-skating pageant with the PEANUTS characters, a mixture of Christmas carols and Guaraldi’s contemporary jazz, and the message that Christmas is really about the joyful miracle of Jesus’ birth. Yet, Schultz wanted more. He wanted “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to have a religious and implied political meaning that was central to his faith. The TV producers opposed him, saying it would be too risky—too religious and could have political meanings. Linus was to read Luke 2:8-14 the heart of the Christmas message. Schultz refused to give in. After all, he argued this is what Christmas is, the birth of the Savior of the world. He finally issued an ultimatum, either the program went as he wrote it or production would stop. Reluctantly the producers conceded and on December 9, 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was seen in some 15 million homes, about one-half the market. It won critical acclaim, both an Emmy and a Peabody award. But more importantly, the true meaning of Christmas was shared. Will that message come through to you and me? Will we encounter the One of Peace and come to know him as God creating the opportunity for peace? I believe this is the center of the Christmas event---the work of the Messiah is to bring God’s shalom. Yes, even in our difficult world of Iranian bluster and missiles, al Qaeda’s terror plots, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the unpredictable behavior of irrational North Korea, violence in India and Pakistan, oppression in China, in this very world comes the One of Peace. Is it naïve to believe in the Christmas message of peace? I think not. As I listened to President Obama’s speech accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, I thought he did an excellent job of framing the goal of peace within the hard realities of the world. Acknowledging the ambiguities of his position as President of a nation engaged in two wars, the President said: We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth that we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetime…I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people, For make no mistake about it, evil does exist in the world. A non- violent movement could not have stopped Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism, it is a recognition of history, the imperfections of man and the limits of reason. Such is the world into which the One of Peace comes, reminding us that our God, the Holy and Eternal God, comes to bring peace on earth, shalom to all. This is the message of Christmas. When the One of Peace comes, just maybe what is revealed is not the naiveté of believing in peace, but rather the naiveté of believing that war and the threat of war will make us secure. In early December of 2001, Mary Beth, then 5, wrote her letter to Santa. She addressed the envelope and laid it and the letter on my desk, so I could take it to the post office. She went off to bed. I picked up the letter to fold it but decided first to read what Mary Beth wanted for Christmas. As I read her letter, my eyes filled with tears and I called out, “Char, you need to see this!” Together we read the letter: “Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is peace in the world. Love, Mary Beth.” This was just three months after 9-11, when the experience of terror was fresh and the talk of war was great. Her five year old focus was a bit off in terms of who brings peace, but the content was on target. As we prepare to celebrate our Lord’s birth as one of us, will we greet him as the One of Peace? I pray we will. For once again we journey to that tiny, insignificant town of Bethlehem to experience God once again doing something great---the fulfillment of the prophet’s words. The One of Peace is come! Thanks be to God! Amen! |
