Vicky Biccy's Blog

Peace

Christmas seems to me to be a season of paradoxes. I got a Christmas card in the post featuring a dove and the word ‘PEACE’ in silver letters. Later that day, as I battled the crowds in town (who can be quite vicious when it comes to Christmas shopping!), I wondered what that is supposed to mean. What with all the rush of buying, cooking, decorating, wrapping and travelling, many people would not describe Christmas as peaceful.

I’ve been thinking lately about the phrases commonly used around this time of year. Love, joy, peace and goodwill aren’t just fuzzy feelings you can take off the shelves, unwrap and enjoy for Christmastime. Instead, they are sometimes quite difficult to achieve. It takes thought and effort to act out goodwill, especially when you feel that you haven’t much to spare. Of course we love our families, but it’s a step further to show them that, and then a step beyond that to try to love the people that are maybe more difficult to love.

And peace… in a world where conflict is ever-present, from battle fields and court cases to the kitchen table on Boxing Day, it’s obvious that peace doesn’t just happen by itself. Perhaps the best gift we can give is more of a contribution. We can contribute to making peace a reality in our families, our communities, in every situation we find ourselves in. That sounds like a Christmas I’m eager to celebrate.
 

Created on Thu 17th December 2009 09:40