Advent Peace 4, Mercy leads to Peace
Advent 4 (Dec 17, 2023)
“Because of the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us,
…to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Zechariah (Luke 1:79)
As we wrap up our Advent sermon series on peace, we give the last words to Zechariah, as a he foretells the work of Christ: “To guide our feet into the way of peace.”
These are lovely words, but how do we get there? How do we break out of cycles of hatred, resentment and violence that lead to constant retribution? Zechariah points the way by indicating that the God’s mercy has to start a new day before peace can begin. A reflection of how we live with our hearts open to God’s interrupting mercy.
Note: This last Sunday in Advent was to focus on “Peace in the World.” While the sermon does touch on this, ultimately this is so out of our control, that the focus is on what we can contribute, namely, moving with God’s mercy that brings about a new day.
Second note: The photo is from a field in Lititz that overlooks the middle school.