“Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people…”  Luke 2:10, NRSV

I was driving home from working at The Open Table last week and had just heard the news about yet another shooting, this time in San Bernardino, California.  My heart sank.  I was out of words, out of prayers, and was feeling low on hope as well.  The amount of gun violence in 2015 was overwhelming–how can we make a difference when the problem seems so big, so out of our control?  “What Child Is This?” came over the radio and its message, like church bells, rang loud and clear.  Even in our darkest times, when winter nights seem endless and as humans we are not at our best, the hope of God’s story in the Christian faith tradition offers another narrative by which we can live:

  • When a shared meal turns into authentic conversation (Abraham)
  • When people enter as strangers and leave as friends (disciples)
  • When someone who doesn’t feel s/he can be a leader becomes the voice of liberation (Moses)
  • When lonely people experience full acceptance (woman at the well)
  • When hate is confronted and a complete 180 happens (Paul)
  • When someone makes a big mistake and must come to terms with it, yet experiences forgiveness (David)
  • When someone falsely imprisoned is set free (Joseph)
  • When hospitality is offered from an unexpected person (Rahab)
  • When someone whose people group is oppressed speaks up for justice at great risk to her/himself (Esther)
  • When a rich person who practiced exploitation has a change of heart and starts giving to the poor (Zacchaeus)
  • When isolation is transformed into community (Ruth)
  • When a person with a different sexual orientation experiences being heard and treated with dignity (Philip)
  • When someone risks vulnerability in order to spread a word of hope (Mary)
  • When someone challenges a corrupt ruling class, welcomes outsiders, uses stories to challenge violence and fear, and turns the world upside down for the sake of love (Jesus)

In our staff meeting yesterday, someone brought up the point that Jesus was not a stranger to violence in his culture, or political leaders who acted in ways which lacked compassion.  He is truly Emmanuel, or “God with us”, and because of that we can not only hope peace is possible, but have the strength to endure as we work toward it together.  Prayer and action must go hand in hand if change is to come.  I think this is something Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King, Jr. understood as they worked for civil rights not so very long ago.  I will probably write more about them later, but for now, enjoy Ms. Jackson’s rendition of “What Child Is This?” and remember that violence is not the end of the story.

 

 

“The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone him.
This, this is Christ the King….
the babe, the son of Mary.”

Peace be with you, and may you hear whatever word of hope and good news you need today.  Let us both pray and work for peace.

This article originally appeared in The Open Table e-newsletter and has been adapted for this website.

Image credit: “Chalk Peace on Earth”, by Visitor7 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons