In the Bible, Isaiah says, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
I don’t know about you, but I think we could all use a Prince of Peace about now. From the Ukraine to the US-Mexican border, to protests in China and ever-changing battles in Africa, the world is full of strife. Even our own backyards are often filled with discord.
Conflict is somewhat inevitable with human beings. We all have our opinions, our ways of doing things, and our beliefs. When we walk into a room we each see things differently based on our wiring, our upbringing, the experiences we’ve had, and the voices we’ve allowed into our heads.
The easy part is to stick with that frame of reference, no matter what. The harder part—the peace giving part—is to explore the lens of reference of another human being. Why does that person see Christmas as a holy time of year while the other peers through the lens of cynicism to see only the commercial aspects? If someone knows nothing about Judaism, they can hardly expect to see Hanukah as a person steeped in the religion would see it.
Whatever your faith, or beliefs, even if you feel you have none at all, I encourage you to discover whatever peace you have within you and pass it along. It can be as simple as a smile, or as difficult to do as perform the act of listening and accepting what someone else is saying, even if you disagree with them, without spending part of your brain working on a great comeback.
While we alone can’t solve great world problems, individually, in our own backyards, we can bring the peace and joy of the season.
May you have a very happy holiday season, however you celebrate.
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