Friday, December 24

Friday, December 24

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the diving wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in the one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross…                                                     Ephesians 2:14-15

Most of us know John McCain as a senator and former Presidential candidate. But many years ago he was also a POW in the Viet Nam war. For five and a half years Mr. McCain was not only held captive in the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison camp, but also routinely beaten and tortured. He tells the story of one particularly brutal North Vietnamese guard would enter his solitary cell every morning for two years and humiliate him before beating him. He admits to learning to hate that guard with a hatred he had never known before. During that same time of solitary confinement McCain would also be tied with “torture ropes” at night that would prevent him from being able to sleep. But one night another guard entered his cell and, without a word, loosened his ropes so that he could sleep. A few months later, on Christmas day, all the prisoners were lined up in the yard and this same guard who had showed him kindness walked up beside him, and again without a word, used his foot to draw a crude cross in the dirt. The guard left the cross there long enough for McCain to understand that he was a Christian and that Christ was the reason he had loosened his ropes. McCain said that that simple gesture of compassion and faith both helped sustain him through the horrors of being a POW and rekindled his own faith in God.

In this passage from Ephesians, Paul is referring to the diverse people, groups that comprised the early church, primarily Jews and Gentiles. These were people from different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds – people who, outside of the church, would have distrusted and even hated each other. But because of Christ, Paul says, they have peace because Jesus has “destroyed the barrier of hostility.”

He’s telling us that when we understand and experience the grace of Christ that forgives all OUR sin – and the price paid for that forgiveness – we can then offer that same forgiving grace to others, whether they be members of an enemy army or people who live in our own homes!

Last week marked the 30^th anniversary of John Lennon’s death. As media outlets recounted the former Beatles star’s life, their words were often accompanied by clips from his famous songs. One of the songs used was “Give Peace a Chance.” As I listened to a few lines from that song, I thought to myself that John Lennon was right:  the world does need peace. But on the other hand, I also realized that peace, in its ultimate form, is not found in governments, political ideologies, or social programs. Peace, peace of mind, peace of heart, peace with the past, present and future, peace with others, and ultimately, God eternal kingdom of peace, is found in a person – Jesus Christ!

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey…He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.                          Zechariah 9:9-10

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20)

Have a blessed Christmas!

Brian Coffey