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From the desk of Bishop Héctor: Advent Message: The Path to Peace
December 10, 2024 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Editor's Note: The following Advent message was sent to United Methodists of Upper New York on behalf of Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez on Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
“Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” Isaiah 2:5
Dear siblings in Christ,
During the Advent season, we are given a special time to reflect on the birth of Jesus and look forward to the complete unfolding of God’s reign as we prepare to celebrate Christmas.
Today, discussions about peace can seem out of place. We live in a world that appears to have accepted religious and political divisions as the new normal, where intolerance, violence, and war dominate the news headlines. Many people often seek vengeance and call for retribution in response to harm. For many today, peace feels like an unattainable ideal. However, Advent reminds us that peace is not a distant hope; it has already entered the world through Jesus Christ. Even in these chaotic times, for all who believe in Jesus, peace is a gift to be embraced and shared with others.
The prophet Isaiah lived in turbulent times. Amid impending devastation, Isaiah offered a powerful vision of hope. “In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established… all nations will stream to it… They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” (Isaiah 2:2-4)
Isaiah’s message is clear and provides reason for hope and peace: God’s story does not end in destruction. It ends in peace. As followers of Christ, we inherit Isaiah’s vision of peace and the responsibility to be peacemakers.
Peace is not just a concept to proclaim but a way of life to practice. To be peacemakers, we must first learn how to experience peace in our lives—peace with God, ourselves, and others.
Our journey toward peace begins with God. Often, the lack of peace we feel with others stems from a deeper unrest within ourselves—a restlessness that arises from attempting to control what only God can. Advent encourages us to surrender to God’s will and walk humbly in God’s light. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, offers reconciliation with God, inviting us to trust Him and allow God’s peace to rule in our hearts.
True peace with God allows us to find peace within ourselves. In the Wesleyan tradition, this is connected to our understanding of personal holiness and the process of sanctification, through which God's grace transforms us from the inside out. As we open ourselves to God's influence in our hearts, we can release the burdens of guilt, shame, and the need for control, embracing the freedom to walk in the light of Christ.
From the peace we discover within God and ourselves, we are inspired to promote peace in our families, communities, and even with those who may see us as their enemies. This embodies the essence of social holiness—our faith manifested through love and action.
Isaiah’s vision teaches us peace is an active pursuit rather than a passive state. Transforming swords into plowshares requires effort; we must move beyond vengeance and violence and instead embrace the challenging, sacred work of peacemaking. As the Church, we are called to embody this vision of peace. However, we cannot teach peace until we first practice it ourselves.
To teach peace means to live it—to reflect Christ’s peace through our words, actions, and relationships. What would it look like for us to accept this call in practical ways? Can we model patience and forgiveness in our families, even when tensions are high? Can we be voices of calm during moments of conflict in our communities and congregations, advocating for understanding and reconciliation? How can we engage with issues of justice and peace, supporting efforts to bring relief to the oppressed and hope to the hopeless?
As we await the Prince of Peace, this Advent lets us learn from Jesus the ways of peace—with God, within ourselves, and with others. As we walk these paths of peace, empowered by the Holy Spirit, may we witness the transformation that Christ's healing and liberating love brings.
Paz,
Bishop Héctor A. Burgos Núñez
Serving the Susquehanna & Upper New York Area
The United Methodist Church
Click here to watch the whole Advent message preached by Bishop Burgos at Chapel Hill UMC, PA, on December 8, 2024.