Associate Minister
“On the Way to Bethlehem: Waiting for Peace”
Scripture Readings: Romans 12:9-18, Luke 1:5-17
To join with us by watching our online worship, please click here.
Waiting is hard. Whether you’re anticipating something wonderful or dreading the unknown, waiting can feel like an eternity. In this week’s chapter of the book that accompanies this Advent series, there is a line that has stuck with me more than others. “Waiting is not an easy thing to do, but it is a spiritual activity.” Waiting challenges us. It stretches our patience and often reveals how much we rely on control. But the Bible is full of stories about waiting. The Israelites waiting for 400 years to be liberated from Egypt, and then 40 more years to enter the promised land; Abraham and Sarah waiting decades for a son; Jesus telling the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit after he ascended and of course today’s scripture reading of Zechariah and Elizabeth waiting for a child, living in hope despite years of disappointment.
How is it when you are waiting for something? Sometimes we wait in hopeful anticipation. Sometimes we wait in fear. Waiting for an exciting vacation or a fun celebration is a lot different than waiting at the doctor’s office for a diagnosis or waiting for the results of a scan or test.
The book goes on to say “what happens in us while we wait is as important as what we’re waiting for.”
This second week of Advent, we light the candle of peace, peace—a word and a promise we deeply long for. In our Advent journey, as we prepare for the birth of the Christ child, this preparing in the story has us travel to Jerusalem. Jerusalem, often called “the city of peace,” carries a name that speaks of harmony, yet its history—and its present as we know see in the news —tell of conflict. Today, Jerusalem is a focal point of division, a place where peace feels fragile and fleeting.
Jerusalem reminds us of the tension between the peace we long for and the reality we live in. But it also points to something deeper: the new Jerusalem, a symbol of the peace we are called to nurture within ourselves.
This inward journey is what Advent invites us to explore. Are we waiting for external circumstances to change, or are we allowing God to transform us in the waiting?
The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth in our reading from Luke this morning invites us into a kind of waiting that transforms. They lived in a turbulent time under Roman occupation, longing for liberation and redemption. Yet their story begins with personal longing—longing for a child.
When the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah, announcing the birth of John, it’s not just a promise of a child; it’s a calling – the promise of a transformative mission. As the scripture says – John will “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah and Elizabeth’s faithfulness in waiting prepared the ground for the one who would turn hearts and point people toward God.
The author, in On the Way to Bethlehem, writes about the importance of “traveling light” on the journey to Christ. This means shedding the emotional and spiritual baggage that weighs us down. This waiting time can refine us. It teaches us patience and trust. It encourages us to let go of the burdens, like fear, resentment, or impatience—that keep us from experiencing peace and get in the way of our ability to see God’s work in our waiting. Zechariah’s initial disbelief shows us how difficult it can be to trust in God’s timing, but his faithfulness reminds us that transformation often begins in the waiting. For Zechariah – he was stripped of his voice – which then forced him to just listen for God, to set aside his regular activity in order to just focus on how God was working in his life, transforming his waiting time into something more. Like Zechariah, we’re invited to listen for God in the silence and trust that something new is being born, even when we can’t see it yet.
Are we waiting for things outside of ourselves to shift and change, or are we willing to let transformation take place within us? Advent teaches us that what happens within us while we wait is as important as the outcome. It is not just about marking time, but about being shaped by God in the process.
But, can we find peace within while waiting for peace around us? Can we embody peace and work for peace even when peace seems far off?
The need for peace is undeniable. We see conflict and division that interfere with the promise of shalom—the all-encompassing peace of God.
We all long for peace, but it can feel elusive. Conflict and division are everywhere—in our world, our communities, and sometimes even our own hearts. We’re still working toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, seeking justice and healing after centuries of harm.
In our cities, homelessness and inequality remind us of the need for compassion and systemic change. In our personal lives, we face divisions in families, workplaces, and communities, where finding common ground can seem impossible, yet this is precisely what Christ calls us to do. We can model respectful dialogue and seek common ground, even when disagreements persist.
These struggles remind us that peace is not just an ideal; it is a necessity. But peace does not begin “out there.” It begins within—within communities, families, and within our own hearts.
Paul’s words in Romans provide a practical guide for living peaceably as we wait. They are as relevant today as they were in the early church. Romans speaks of love that must be genuine. Genuine love is the foundation of peace.
In a society that often values appearance over authenticity, we are called to love deeply and without pretense. “Bless those who persecute you” This is one of the most radical teachings of Christ, and it challenges us to respond to hostility with grace. This might mean approaching difficult conversations with humility and openness. In Romans it says “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” While peace is a shared responsibility, Paul acknowledges that our part is to make every effort, even when others may not reciprocate. Waiting for peace does not mean being passive. It calls us to be actively working for peace through kindness, advocacy and reconciliation.
Jerusalem, the city of peace, is not just a physical place; it is also a spiritual symbol. The Bible speaks of the “new Jerusalem,” a vision of ultimate peace and renewal. But this vision begins within us.
In a culture that prizes productivity and busyness, waiting feels counterintuitive. Yet Advent teaches us that waiting is a spiritual discipline. While we wait for external peace—peace in Jerusalem, the city of peace, in our world, in Canada, in our relationships—we are invited to cultivate an inner peace that sustains us.
What does this inner peace look like? It is not the absence of conflict or hardship but is about trusting in God’s presence and promises. It is the peace that allows us to work for justice with compassion, to love our enemies, and to face uncertainty with hope.
And so our challenge is to see the waiting of Advent as transformative. What happens within us while we wait shapes our ability to experience and share peace. Waiting refines us, teaching us patience, humility, and reliance on God.
In our own lives, waiting for peace might look like practicing forgiveness: Letting go of grudges that keep us from experiencing inner peace. Having difficult conversations and engaging in dialogue: Seeking to understand those with whom we disagree, even when it’s uncomfortable. Caring for the vulnerable: Acting in solidarity with those who are marginalized, even when systemic change feels slow. These actions remind us that waiting is not passive. It is actively engaging with God’s work in us and in the world.
The way that we wait can help us to embody the very peace we long for. We live with the example of the teachings of Jesus, who calls us to be peacemakers in a divided world.
Living peaceably means: Cultivating inner peace: Through paying attention to our own spiritual life. Through prayer, reflection, and letting go of anxieties, we make space for God’s peace to dwell within us.
Living peaceably means: Building community: Peace is not a solitary endeavour. It requires relationships, collaboration, and mutual care.
Living peaceably means: Trusting God’s timing: Zechariah and Elizabeth’s story reminds us that God’s promises often unfold in ways we cannot predict. Trusting in God’s timing allows us to wait with hope rather than frustration.
As we look outward, we are reminded that the peace of Christ is not just for us—it is for the world. Advent calls us to be agents of peace, bearing witness to God’s presence in the world in how we live, work, and relate to others.
These are not easy tasks, but they are the work of Advent—the work of preparing the way for Christ’s peace.
As we wait for peace, both in our world and within ourselves, we are reminded that the waiting is not wasted. God is at work in the waiting, shaping us into vessels of peace.
Jerusalem, the city of peace, stands as a symbol of hope—a reminder that God’s vision of shalom is both a promise and a calling. As we journey through Advent, may we prepare our hearts and our lives for the peace of Christ, trusting that what happens within us while we wait is as important as the peace we seek.
In this season of waiting, may we embody God’s peace in our words, actions, and relationships. May this peace transform us, that we too can be instruments of God’s peace in the world. Amen.