Prophetic Peace

December 7, 2025

The Will to Dream

Some of you may remember the tv series called Columbo. The main character of the murder mystery series revolved around this person who appeared to be a bumbling detective asking obscure questions. He always showed up at inconvenient times for those who were suspects, but he always got the right person. The thing about this particular show was that you pretty much always knew at the start of the show who had committed the crime. The first scenes showed you the who, what, when and how. The part that intrigued viewers was watching Columbo put the pieces together as he figured out the clues.

It seems to be the way for us as well as we read scripture. As we sit here, we know that our faith, our way of doing life, revolves around this person of Jesus. We are called followers of Jesus. But the scriptures hold clues and keys to who Jesus was, his purpose, his life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We don’t know every detail, but we are given enough to understand. We don’t solve the mystery of our faith in our lifetimes, but each day we can question, have more clarity, and in some ways solve the mystery that is God come to us in the person of Jesus and what that means for our lives.

People in the Bible such as Isaiah, Malachi, and John the Baptizer, all point to the person who is going to come and change things. They point to a person coming who will separate those who live lives that honour God, follow the ways of the Lord, those who are humble and love justice and mercy, from those who love power and create conditions of injustice and harm.

Also, for these prophets, the person will do this work of separating in ways that seem strikingly harsh and harmful in its own way. As you listen to these images described, hear them for the powerful acts they are meant to help us imagine. Malachi speaks of a white-hot furnace, a refiner’s fire, soap as strong as lye to cleanse. Isaiah talks of the power of nature where one will hear thunder in the dessert and roads becoming smooth and straight. Now all of this happens with mighty power. John speaks about this person as one who will “clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”[1]

Whoever each of these prophets are describing, it is someone who changes everything. John the Baptist does know that it is Jesus. In a story that follows this in the Gospel of Matthew, we will hear of Jesus coming to be baptized by John. However, here we are at the second Sunday of Advent and you may be wondering how do any of these scriptures relate to the serene images of a peaceful barn full of animals where a mother has just given birth to a little boy and a father lovingly looks over them.

To that one might say, “Oh how we have sanitized the birth of Jesus!” You need to think about the birthing process, the smell of animals, the lack of a sterile environment, the scream of birth pangs, the fear of loss, the sounds and smells of animals, the cool of the night, the sweat on the brows of both mother and father and a pool of birthing fluids, and the cry of a baby that has just come through the birth canal.
Advent is a time of expectant hope, but it does not come packaged in peace, and love. Advent, and Christmas itself, come through times of fear, injustice, and the power of empire. It comes in this child born to people who will have to flee for their lives and become refugees in Egypt for a time. Advent also points to a yet to come anticipated return of Jesus, when as Revelation 21:4 says, “He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.”[2]

But for today we have this voice in the wilderness. The voice of John the Baptizer who is telling everyone to repent, which basically suggests that one must change their mind and or heart. This time of Advent is a time of reviewing, reflecting, and relearning. It is a time of discovery as we look at our own ways of being in the world to see where we have let the power of the empire, that of governments, of leaders, of those who do harm, where have we let those things run rampant. We ask the question, “How are we complicit in the injustice of the world?”

It may be why all these prophets spoke with such fiery passion; they needed to get the attention of those around them and to get our attention as well. They are pointing the way to one who will come to change our way of thinking and being in the world. Thing is, this change happens one person at a time until communities are transformed. It is about changing our minds and hearts to see where there is injustice, inequity, and hurting people, and bring about justice, equity, and healing to ourselves, to individuals, and to entire communities of people.

This may sound like a lofty ideal yet it is possible to change the world. This starts with changing your corner of the world, it starts with you and me. It starts with us looking at ourselves and seeing how we participate in the injustice and pain. Do you offer yourself grace but also turn from the thinking that has you judging yourself, or not offering yourself forgiveness, something that is offered to you because of the love that Jesus has for you…because you are a child of God? It is hard to think of others as valuable if you don’t value yourself.

On the other hand, there are some who think too highly of themselves and judge others harshly, if you are one of those you also need to rethink or change your mind and heart. As is written in the commentary for this series called The Will to Dream, “If we find ourselves too comfortable with what the current empire promises, it is time to reorient our minds. If we find ourselves disillusioned or indifferent, it is time to reorient our minds.”[3]

We need a reorientation of our hearts, systems, and society. To that end, where or how do we reorient our minds and our hearts?
How many times do you hear from someone, including me, that our systems our broken? Health care, education, government, religion? We know that things are broken, they have always been broken, but that does not suggest that we should give up working for change. I would hazard to say that the brokenness we see in the world comes from injustice, power wanting power, people wanting control over people.

We stand here in the footsteps of Jesus, one who spoke to and against the power of empire, and changed the world. We are here today because of the person of Jesus. The disciples that continued the work of Jesus, the communities of faith that have been established since, though imperfect, we all stand against the injustice of power that says that one person is worthy and another can just suffer. This is not okay!

We cannot stand silent as people suffer under the strong arm, the weight of injustice. We are called to be people who stand in the face of power and say, no more can people be left to endure hardship.
John the Baptist came preaching a word of prophetic peace. He did not do it with soft words to cushion our discomfort, he came with words of judgement, and action. The peace that the world offers is dependant on domination, silence, and stability for a few. We need to realize that peace is not an avoidance of conflict. That is not true peace.

Peace is something that Christ brings. It is a peace that transcends our understanding. It is peace in the midst of conflict. It is peace that brings hope, joy, and love into the world. It is peace born in people who want to see change that uplifts those who are suffering under the weight of power that wants to control…power that diminishes the beauty of creation and humanity.

It is our work to see where there is injustice and to hold accountable those who perpetrate the injustice whether that be commerce, leadership, governments, or anyone else that holds power that creates fear and oppression. We need to see where that power has taken hold in ourselves and we need to see where that kind of power has taken hold in the world. Then we need to act for change so that all people can know the peace of Christ and live with the love, joy, and grace that is promised in Christ Jesus.

And let me say, this does not mean that everyone has to become a Christian, but it is to say that our love as coming in and through Christ is the catalyst and people should experience that love from us whether they recognize it as Christ’s love or not.

This is a tall order, but do not lose hope. Each day do what you can to bring the peace of Christ to someone or some situation. Even if it is not a crisis you face in the moment, look for ways to be a presence of peace, a sign of hope, allowing the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and heart to see what is happening around you, to change your heart and mind, to reorient you to the message of the gospel of Christ where peace for all is a promise.

I speak to you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.