I was honored to be invited to submit a reflection for our church’s Advent Devotional. Below is my contribution, which was written for today, December 21:
O morning stars, together proclaim the holy birth.
And voices raise to God in praise and peace to all on earth.
-from O Little Town of Bethlehem
And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace. -Micah 5:4-5
If the sky is clear, go outside and spend a moment looking into the sky; see how many stars you can count. If the weather does not permit this, think about a time you have looked up into the sky at the numerous stars.
I am fortunate to live in the country; there are many nights throughout the year when I will stare up into the evening sky, especially in the summer. In those moments I often feel both insignificant and valuable. The insignificance results from my considering how vast the universe is; I am but a speck. The value comes out of knowing the Creator who made all those stars knows me.
We need a healthy measure of both humility and worth. This is precisely what Jesus embodied and it contributes to his being the one of peace Micah talks about. He has the humility of a shepherd and the glory of a king.
We live in a world where peace, true peace, is a rare commodity. Rather than humility and worth, many people are drowning in self-hatred and arrogance, two seemingly opposite attributes which often serve as partners secretly working together undermining individual and societal peace.
God invites us to join the symphony of peace resonating through Christ and creation. As we near the evening when a star led both shepherds and kings to Jesus, may we look to the stars as a reminder of both of our smallness and great worth within the reign of God.
Prayer: God of all creation, give us eyes to see and ears to hear your voice speaking to us through creation. On this Winter Solstice, this longest night of the year, may we be reminded by the stars shining in the darkness that even in the darkest moments, your peace seeks to break into the night. I am both as small as the tiniest points of the light in the night sky and intimately known and loved by the One who is greater than all the stars in the universe. May I be an instrument of peace as I follow the example of the crucified and risen Christ, who is great not in spite of his humility but precisely because of it.
Breaking Into Peace 