I receive Jeff Fountain’s weekly newsletter. His latest is Why Celebrate.
So full of insight – here are two quote as he reflects on the Christmas message of peace:
[T]his paradox does not cancel the angelic promise. It clarifies it. The shalom the angels proclaimed was not merely the absence of war but the restoration of right relationship – between God and humanity, within human communities, and ultimately within creation itself. This peace is deeper than political stability, though it has political implications.
So two thousand years of conflict do not mean the promise failed. They are the long contested middle ground of history between promise and fulfilment. Paul describes creation as groaning in anticipation of liberation (Romans 8:22), not the groan of defeat but the labour pain of a world being remade.
Shalom, peace, reconciliation… beyond all ‘peace deals’ and negotiations. A longer read that resonates with this and might be of some interest is what I wrote entitled: Reconciliation – in Four Directions.pdf