IS PEACE IN BETHLEHEM POSSIBLE?

 

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, was born in Bethlehem. Today, almost 2,028 years later, there is no peace in Bethlehem. One hotelier commented, “this is the worst Christmas ever”. Normally, this time of year is the brightest for the city of Bethlehem. One church has replaced the traditional crèche with the figure of baby Jesus and shepherds, with Jesus resting surrounded by concrete rubble from a destroyed building.  

This year, no traditional Christmas tree will be placed in Manger Square. Many stores and hotels which cater to tourists will be partially closed. With tongue in cheek, one journalist said of Bethlehem, “there’s plenty room in the Inn”. Imagine, even Christmas celebrations have been cancelled. Bethlehem is heavily reliant for income and jobs on visitors from all around the world who go to see the Church of the Nativity, believed to be built on the site where Jesus was born.

Interestingly, when Jesus was born, many experienced a different kind of emptiness. The philosophical and religious backgrounds of paganism in the first century left a sense of emptiness among many. For instance, belief in the reality of the ancient gods and goddesses of classical mythology resulted in widespread agnosticism.

Many skeptics deduced that the gods were originally men who had distinguished themselves either as warriors or benefactors of mankind, and who after their death were accorded divine honors. What was aptly termed “the failure of nerve” characterized the moral and religious vacuum that many felt, but could not overcome, despite the panaceas offered by a welter of competing teachers, philosophers, priests, astrologers and quacks.

Epictetus, a first century Roman historian and philosopher said of this era: “while the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief and envy. He cannot give peace of heart, for which humanity yearns more than even for outward peace.” As emperor, Caesar Augustus ruled the nations, but could not conquer the human heart.

That was the religious and philosophical world into which Jesus came. That was the world which heard the angels say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14). So unlike today’s understanding of peace, the angels were not referring to the absence of war. They were declaring God's desire for harmonious relationships between men and nations.

Like with the Hebrew word shalom, the Greek word for peace suggests completeness, wholeness, health, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquillity, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord. Shalom comes from the root verb shalom, meaning to be complete, perfect and full.

That understanding of peace is so different from those who believe that assuming a posture of strength dissuades potential attacks, consequently leading to peace – the absence of war. But peace is much more than the absence of war.

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul linked peace to a person, and not merely to an ideology. He contended, “for He (Jesus) is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility...” (Ephesians 2:14).

Hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Isaiah predicted of the coming Messiah, that He would be sar shalom – Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus, who Christians believe is that Messiah, said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you...” (John 14:27). For this reason, Christians see Christmas as the arrival of the Prince of Peace.

Despite the isolated cases in history of using Christianity to incite and initiate wars, the Christian message is universally known as a message of peace. Christianity influenced the abolition of slavery and infanticide. In addition, it is because of the Christian ethic that the outrage against euthanasia, sex trafficking and abortion persists.

Because Christians are expected to demonstrate the life of Christ as a lifestyle, we should constantly pursue peace. The biblical teaching is unambiguous, “... as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). Christmas provides tremendous opportunities to illustrate this truth. Not knowing that they are referring to Jesus, many Jews believe that the Messiah will bring about peace when he comes. Even Sunni Muslims believe in the second coming of Jesus. Although the purpose of his reappearance is quite different from the view held by Christians, both religions agree that his sovereign might will be on display.

Christians believe that the babe of Bethlehem will return. Until he does, his followers are expected to reflect the peace to which the Angel referred at his birth. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14). When the psalmist encouraged pilgrims to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:5), he was not limiting his prayer to the absence of war, but to the presence of wholesomeness, safety, soundness, tranquillity, rest and harmony. May that be our prayer for Bethlehem and the Middle East this Christmas.