Advent – Week 2: Peace
During this week of Advent, we focus on receiving the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Today you will light both the “hope” candle and the “peace” candle.
What is peace?
From the very beginning of time, peace was understood to be not simply the absence of that which is bad, but also the presence of that which is good.
In the Bible, the Hebrew word used for peace is “shalom”. Shalom means wholeness, complete flourishing of a person’s life. Biblically, shalom is often used to reference a person’s life being whole with God. Perhaps the best way to think of peace is to think back to those first days on earth, before sin. Think back to what God said after He created the heavens and the earth and all that is within it. “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31).” God created everything to operate in perfect harmony with one another and with God. This is shalom; this is peace.