2019 Christmas Letter

“May the God of peace be with you all.” – Romans 15:33

Advent is a time of waiting patiently for the coming of the Lord. Waiting, however, can often lead to impatience, restlessness, and an unpeaceful mind. St. Augustine once said, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds it’s rest in thee.” We all strive to end this restlessness and gain peace.

Peace has usually been defined as the absence of pain, war, or conflict. Christians (and Jews) have a very different definition. Peace is associated with the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom is not just the absence of conflict, but it means peace as the original way God intended it to be when he created the world in Genesis 1: full and complete and sinless and harmonious. The reason that it was shalom was because God, the one who is peace, was there.

When we strive for peace, what we are really striving for is for a world that is made right; a world that has reclaimed shalom. When we strive for peace, what we are really striving for is God and his promise that one day shalom will be restored. Revelation 21:4-5 states, “‘[Jesus] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” This is peace and the hope that we cling to: a world that is free from suffering, death, mourning, crying, and pain.

If we held onto this 21st century watered-down definition of hope that trusts in the abilities of man, we would have nothing. We may believe that the world is getting better through humanity, but there will always be another murderer, or liar, or adulterer, or megalomaniac. If we held onto that hope, we would have no reason to exist. But the hope and peace that is Jesus Christ is real. The hope that Christ is coming again and making all things new is everlasting, and will happen. Then we will have shalom.

We hope that you have a very Merry Christmas!

In Christ,
Andy, Emily, Benjamin, Joshua, and Asher Moore (and Olive)

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