What does the peace of Jesus look like? Probably not the way we imagine it should look. Jesus says, “Not as the world gives do I give [peace] to you.” Often we perceive peace from the “world” in tangible, or practical things. Unfortunately, when we lose these tangible things, we often lose our sense of peace. How many of us fell into terrible anxiety and fear in the Covid-19 pandemic or the Great Recession hit in 2008? So how can we experience the peace of Jesus if our brain is misfiring with frequent fight-or-flight commands caused by everyday interactions in the world? Prayer and mediation. Science has shown that prayer activates deep regions in our prefrontal cortex, while also calming the fight-or-flight mechanism.

During the Christmas season, the “should’s” and “have-to’s” seem to pile on us more than any other time of year. The pressure we put on ourselves to live up to other people’s perceived expectations can be intense. There are simple practices that you can use to invite lasting peace into your holiday season. This article offers help for Christians seeking spiritual calm during holidays.

“Have no anxiety at all, but make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6 -7) “Have no anxiety at all…”  Are they kidding me here?! Is that possible? Prayer and gratitude in every aspect of our lives helps relieve our anxiety and enables us to receive the peace of God. 

Feeling Lost in the Holiday Rush? It is so easy to get caught up in the cultural norms surrounding Christmas: shopping, parties, cookie baking, school concerts, and church pageants, etc. Many of these activities are supposed to make us feel peace, love, and blessings, but oftentimes we are left feeling exhausted, hung-over, and broke. As we go through our busy lives planning for the Christmas season, let’s look for where we can give approval, kindness and love to our fellow humans. A positive word, a smile, or a kind gesture can go a long way to spreading Christmas peace.

My ex-husband began a hail-storm of lawsuits over everything from custody, to child support, to alimony. We had already been divorced for nearly two years when he started this new legal barrage. I did not respond well to this trauma at all! This was the beginning of my descent into hell. Was I the victim? — Yes. But fighting back was not the best choice. “Do not return evil for evil, or insult for insult; but, on the contrary, a blessing —  because to this you were called, that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).

For sure one person cannot bring “peace on earth, goodwill to all” this holiday season. However, one person can “change his own nature,” as Gandhi said, and thereby see “the attitude of the world change towards him.” Today, make it your goal to cultivate small, peaceful moments in your life, and you will be amazed to see how it spreads to those around you. 

Many people wrestle with some type of: “What do I actually believe?” question as they progress in their spiritual lives. I believe modern people have become disengaged from Christianity because we don’t actually read our own scriptures, nor do we pay attention to the words of our own liturgical prayers. Christianity, by its own text, is full of mysticism and spiritual wonderment.

I recently went to a baby shower for someone very close to me and my family. It was so exciting to see 50-or-so women from all different age-groups, and many from far distances, all gathered to celebrate a new person joining the collective human family. That is a lot of love showered on a person who has not yet appeared! Babies are little miracles who bring joy to the world, we seemed to be saying all day.

Yet, how often do we share that same love and appreciation for the miracle of human life with ourselves? It seems so natural to unconditionally love a new baby, but do we extend that same love and compassion to ourselves?

“Jesus said to his disciples:"Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father” (Matthew 6:1). Jesus is telling the disciples, and us, that if we choose to do any kind of “good deed,” let it be because of a pure desire to be good, with no intention to receive anything back.

What thoughts are you thinking? What results do you want to see in your life? If the thoughts and words you have in your mind and heart do not match and support the results you want to achieve in your life, you will not be successful.

Jesus called people to love themselves, and then to allow that love to spill over into loving all the people around them (Mark 12:31). This was a major departure from the religious teachings of his day, which focused on rule-following and punishment for those who did not conform (Mark 2:27). We are no different today. Psychologist Carl Jung wrote, “Where love rules, there is no will to power; and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.” We do to others that which we do to ourselves.

It doesn’t matter where you are in your life right now, every morning is a new opportunity to change for the better. Regretting your mistakes or ruminating over missed opportunities cannot change the past, and it will not help your present or future self. You can choose every morning to forgive yourself, and begin again on your journey to a happy, joyful life. Love and mercy are the very nature of God. You don’t have to be perfect to come to God. You only need to receive and welcome his kindness, love, and mercy into your heart.

I had been contemplating a Lenten fast for a few days leading up to Ash Wednesday. Fasting, Prayer, and Alms giving are all important for this season, and each of these disciplines can help grow the spiritual life.  However, since the start of the New Year, I have been working on my goals and “vision statement” for my career, and I have been stuck. I realized it is due to an underlying problem that I have been carrying my whole life. “One who fears is not yet perfect in love.”

“It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John…And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” From this announcement of who Jesus is, the Gospel of Mark goes on to recount the earthly ministry of Jesus.  These verses are so quick, and stated so matter-of-factly, that it is easy to miss the fact that the Divinity of the God of the Universe was revealed in Jesus–a real human being– in these short sentences.

“Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled”

“Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”

I welcome the resurrection of Christ into my life to bring me out of every darkness and into Joy.

What can an ancient Carol teach us? ….Everything.