Advent Day 21 – His Name Shall Be … Prince of Peace
“His name shall be… Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:7
One of the hardest places to believe that Jesus would be “the Prince of Peace” is in the midst of a war. Those who have spent the Christmas holiday on a battlefield or deployed and away from their family will nod their heads in understanding.
On Christmas Eve, 1914, this reality came home. The British and German infantry, weary from warfare, found themselves facing off over “no-man’s land.” This ground, a football field in length, was littered with the corpses of fallen soldiers, dead animals, and the hollowed-out husks of abandoned tanks.
But something miraculous happened that evening. The Germans had retreated to a monastery, and began to set it up with Christmas trees, Tannenbaum, and lights. As the evening went on, they started singing Christmas carols.
A couple of British soldiers saw what was happening, and against orders risked the long walk across no-man’s land. They approached and were welcomed by the German soldiers. Soon, dozens of other British soldiers came. A French soldier, a member of the Paris Opera, sang “O Holy Night.”
Over the next two days, the soldiers met together, exchanged gifts and souvenirs, and buried their dead. Games of soccer broke out between the soldiers. And on the evening of the second night, one of the men began singing “Silent Night, Holy Night.”
That evening, on the cold muddy, blood-soaked ground of Flanders Field, “all was calm, and all was bright.” The Prince of Peace had shown up in the middle of a war, and for forty-eight hours some homesick, weary, and hardened soldiers played, and sang like children.
Peace can come in the midst of your battlefield, too. Maybe you’re not facing off against an enemy combatant. Maybe your enemy is a family member, a marital partner, or your parents. The same One Who caused peace to break out on a muddy battlefield, surrounded by decay and death, can bring peace to your home, your family, and your heart.
Trust Him. He is the Prince. And where He reigns, there will be “peace on earth,” “peace with God,” and “peace in our hearts.” It starts with your invitation to allow Him to rule.
…Won’t you give yourself… and those you know… the gift of peace this Christmas?
