Advent Week 2: Peace for a Troubled World

"The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them" (Isaiah 11:6, ESV)

When reviewing Advent liturgies for this Sunday, I struggled.

Peace? I'm supposed to be hoping and waiting for peace? Today?

The message of this second Advent Sunday feels more personal than in the past. As a bit of context, I am currently a graduate student studying epidemiology. Epidemiology is basically the study of how disease spreads and which groups of people diseases affect the most. One of the most clear-cut and devastating factors that contributes to disease spread is armed conflict. 

Just this past week, I attended a lecture from a physician and epidemiologist who has been working in Gaza and other Palestinian territories for decades. In front of a room full of hundreds of attendees, the physician broke down, overburdened by the weight of how decades of armed conflict, systemic destruction of health infrastructure, and irreparable harm has completely destroyed the availability of healthcare for people living throughout Palestine. Malnutrition, rampant chicken pox, scabies, intestinal parasites, amputated limbs: Hundreds of thousands of lives have been forever changed due to months upon months upon months of deadly airstrikes targeting the most vulnerable.

In a world that permits the bombing of maternity hospitals, I ask in earnest:

God, where are you?

When lighting the second Advent candle, let us be reminded of the profound need for peace in our world today.

From the war in Ukraine to the ongoing violence in Palestine, from the devastating conflict in Sudan to the violence, division, and inequity across North America, our world is far from the harmony Isaiah describes. These conflicts remind us of the human cost of division. It propels us to recognize the urgent need for peacemakers. In Ukraine, families are torn apart as missiles rain down on cities and millions are displaced. In Palestine, enduring endless cycles of violence, discrimination, and unimaginable devastation has left generations longing for justice and security that simply never comes. In Sudan, ethnic and political strife has led to  communities being devastated by famine and war. In North America, peace feels fragile as communities grapple with violence, systemic inequities, and political polarization. And this is only a few of the hundreds of armed conflicts across the globe today.

In the face of such brokenness, how do we live into the promise of peace we proclaim during Advent? How do we bear witness to the Prince of Peace in a world so often ruled by the powers of fear and violence?

The Promise of Advent: The Peace of Christ

As I light the second Advent candle this week, I pray for protection from apathy. I pray for the restoration of wholeness. I pray for the all-encompassing peace that is promised by the prophet Isaiah in Christ. Peace with justice, peace with healing, peace with reconciliation.

Jesus says to His disciples:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid" (John 14:27, NRSV).

This peace is rooted in the assurance of God’s presence. It does not ignore suffering but confronts it with the hope of redemption.

When we look to Jesus this Advent season, we see a peacemaker who challenged systems of oppression, healed the brokenhearted, and called His followers to love their enemies. His peace disrupts injustice and calls for unapologetic action to heal.

Hope in the Darkness

Once again this Advent season, I am reminded of the entirety of the Christian faith. Across millennia and throughout the world, my brothers and sisters in Christ have taken the time of Advent to hope for the coming of the Prince of Peace. 

Advent reminds us that even in the darkest night, the light of Christ is coming. The candle of peace calls us to embrace the embodiment of God’s kingdom—a kingdom where swords will be beaten into plowshares and nations will no longer learn war (Isaiah 2:4).

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, let us recommit ourselves to the work of peace. Let us be people who, like the child in Isaiah’s vision, lead with hope, humility, and love. May we embody the peace of Christ in a world longing for reconciliation, and may our lives reflect the promise of Emmanuel—God with us.

This Advent, as we light the candle of peace, may it be a reminder that the Prince of Peace is near, calling us to be His hands and feet in a broken world. Let us carry His light into the darkness and proclaim with our lives: Peace on earth, goodwill to all.