What Is the Candle of Peace?
Each of the five candles of the advent wreath represents something different, an important element
in the coming of Christ and our expectation of him. Three purple candles , a pink candle , and a
white candle represent the five elements of the Christmas story.
This week, we’ll cover the second candle: the candle of peace.
One of the hallmarks of the Christmas story is when the angels appear to the shepherds and
proclaim, “Peace on earth”, in Luke 2:14.
Jesus brought about peace, in the most unexpected ways, when he arrived. The Jews, particularly
the zealots, wanted a rebellion. They wanted their Savior to overturn the oppressive rule of the
Romans and bring about peace in a violent way.
But Jesus had something else in mind. Jesus brings us peace in a number of ways. First, he gives us
inner peace. Because of his work on the cross, we have a chance to receive salvation and be
indwelled by the Holy Spirit. This grants us an inner peace (John 14:27). Not only do we have the
peace that comes from our assurance of salvation, but we also have the peace of mind knowing
God will heal this broken world and will come again. Second, we have peace with others. We put
aside our differences (Galatians 3:28), especially with other believers, because we belong to the same
family. We have the same purpose: to let others know about the peace of Christ.
The Hebrew word for peace: Shalom, goes far beyond not fighting with others or peace as we know
it. As pointed out in the book “Not the Way It’s Supposed to be”, shalom is, in essence, how things are
meant to be: a slice of heaven.
The peace of God allows us to look at others through heaven’s eyes and help guide the world to see
God’s here and not-yet here kingdom.
Peace from God, biblical peace, allows us to trust in God’s promises (Proverbs 3:5), through restful,
tranquil faith, despite the dark, scary world around us. In a scary and violent world, the peace of
God grants us a tranquility you cannot find anywhere else and offers a light to others who do not
yet know that peace.
