Sermon - The Peace of Christmas

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The Peace Of Christmas

by the Rev. B. David Holm

At this time of year people often speak of "the peace of Christmas." Probably all of us have experienced at least something of this special feeling of peace. But what is the origin of peace? What is its real quality? What is it in us that receives peace? And how can we prepare ourselves for the peace of this season? With the answers to these questions, we may come to see the great power that can exist in our celebration of the Lord's first advent.

The Heavenly Doctrine for the New Church tells us that the Lord is peace itself (see Arcana Coelestia 1726). He alone is the Prince of Peace, and He came on earth to become peace itself and so restore peace in the heavens and on earth. He accomplished this through the reciprocal union of His Divine Soul with His Divine Human, and of the Divine Human with His Divine Soul (see Apocalypse Explained 365:11; Arcana Coelestia 10730:2). Thus He glorified His Human - making it totally Divine through constant temptations from the hells and total victories over them. From these victories, and His consequent Glorification, came peace - Divine peace in the Lord Himself, His peace in the heavens, and the potential of His peace among people on earth. For peace is the Lord's Divine inmostly affecting the good in those who are in His Kingdom - or, more briefly, peace is the Divine present in good (see Arcana Coelestia 3780:2, 8722). So the Glorified Lord is the origin of all peace. This is why He came upon earth, and it is good to remind ourselves of this in preparation for the advent season.

With humans - both angels and people on earth - there can be peace only in the same proportion as there is a real trust in the Lord (see Arcana Coelestia 5660:3). This, of course, involves a life of good, which is a life of mutual love (see Arcana Coelestia 2892, 1038:2). So peace is defined as charity - spiritual security and internal rest (see Apocalypse Revealed 306). As we trust in the Lord and live the life of charity, so we come into peace, for then we are in the good of innocence and are willing to be led by the Lord in a life of use (see Heaven and Hell 285e; Arcana Coelestia 0517e). If we would have peace, then we must strive to cultivate a complete trust in the Lord and His Providence (see Arcana Coelestia 8478:4). By a life of regeneration, we not only shun evils as sins against God, but also strive to enter into a life of innocence and charity - a life of active use. These are the states in us that are receptive of the Lord's peace, because they are the means whereby good and truth are conjoined in us. And those who have good and truth conjoined in them have peace (see Arcana Coelestia 4213:2).

Christmas, if it is properly celebrated, is a time in which the things of love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor can come forward and rule in us - at least for a time - and so be helpful to our spiritual progress. Our minds can be raised up toward the Lord, as we think of His Divine mercy in being born among people. Our hearts can go out to others with a real desire for their spiritual well being. We can, indeed, sense the peace of Christmas around us as we prepare to celebrate it. But, in order for this to happen, we must prepare mentally as well as externally for the many happy customs and traditions.

One of the first steps in this process is to raise our minds above the materialism of the world that so invades this holy time of year. Too much materialism can lead us away from the very things that bring the peace of Christmas - such as trust in the Lord as the Divine Human who leads us. We must try to resist merely materialistic attitudes, and lead our children away from them as well.

The New Church should have a truly distinctive celebration of this sacred festival. Yet, our celebrations should be distinctive as to substance, not necessarily as to external observations - except where these are obviously destructive of the true spirit of Christmas. The delightful externals of family and social traditions can serve as fitting receptacles of Christmas peace and joy. As we prepare for our celebrations of Christmas, let us strive to infill the external events with the true meaning of Christmas. Let them be external reflections of our heartfelt joy that the Lord was born on earth to lead us to a new love of one another. Let us do all that we can to live the true meaning of this season, worshipping the Lord in His Divine Human and feeling a heartfelt concern for our fellow people.

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