PODCAST
A Showcase for Peace
December 9th, 2019
Micah 5:1-6
It has been nearly ten years ago, during the season of Advent, that I was invited to reflect on the coming of the Christ child. He is the one the prophets named as the Giver of Peace. As I sat in an Alzheimer’s unit next to my mom, I heard my prayers shift from, “God, please release her from this life” to “God, please help me see the ways in which peace has taken up residence in her seemingly tortured soul.”
In the days to follow, I noticed how often mom had moved from restless to still; I noticed her countenance reflecting contentment and her groan sounding more like a sigh and less like an expression of pain. I believe the key phrase here is, I noticed.
There is no doubt that even though my mom could not name peace, the Giver of Peace was consistent to live in and through her. It seems I was the one who was so distracted by the disease that I failed to notice that the One who said, “I will be your peace” is the one who lingers, offering presence—even in the midst of suffering. Peace has come to stay.
Author: Margaret Tyler
