Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Sunday 5 December 2010, Second Sunday in Advent, by the Rev. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that day were Isaiah 11:1-10 and Matthew 3:1-12.


Lighting of 2nd candle: Peace

Prayer

Lord of peace, may your words inspire us, and may the Holy Spirit guide us to your truth. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you. Amen.

Introduction

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. This is the Sunday of Peace. Gabriel, together with his father Benny, lit a candle for peace in our world this morning.

In the midst of wars and violence in our world, we are desperate for peace.
As Christians and as God’s church, we are called to be peacemakers.
What can we do to contribute to peace on earth?

The Challenge Of Being Peace Makers

At Kowloon Union Church, we started the outreach ministry of peace making program three years ago ‒ 2007. It was started with a group of African brothers. We went to different schools, churches and organizations, sharing the life situations and struggles of asylum seekers and refugees. They shared personal stories with perspective. This is from a human rights and Christian point of view. As our brothers come from Africa, they could also share about African culture. Their presentations employed PowerPoint, singing, drumming and dancing. Actually, simply the presence of our brothers, who come from different cultures, nationalities and races, brought to the local people, young and old, a strong message of peace ‒ peace of unity, for we all are human beings created by God. This is a peace in which people, regardless of their colour, culture, traditions, and social and economic status, are all God’s children who have been given different talents to serve others and to enjoy life. Life is the gift from God. In our peace-making program, we have a vision to share the gospel of peace and justice. Our goal is to share the love and unity in Christ. Our aim is to cultivate an inclusive spirit in our community. We are all equal and one in God. Through singing, drumming and dancing, we embrace one another with respect. Although we are different and coming from different parts of the world, we are no more strangers to one another.

In the course of promoting this ministry, it is ironic to admit that our peace making team did not always live in harmony and peace with one another. It was especially so at the very beginning when the team was just formed. There were times when I found our brothers faced intense emotions and arguments. They would argue with one another over which songs they wanted to select. They would raise their voices when they argued their different views. The journey of peace-making is never straight forward. It is a process of gradually understanding each other by listening respectfully and expressing ourselves. I have seen the group make real progress, and improving group communication over the years.

I once had a very difficult time with one of the members in the team. In several conversations with this member, both he and I were very frustrated and exhausted. We tried to communicate but still we failed to understand each other. I felt strongly my anger inside. How come this guy was so stubborn. In fact, I was very frustrated and disappointed for my failure to make him understand me. At the bottle of my heart, I wish I could be accepted. I wish also to prove that I was able to understand him. While we were both so disappointed and helpless, I suddenly had a strong feeling to stop arguing with him or trying to ‘talk’ verbally. By that very moment, I said to the brother ‘I am so sorry that we cannot fully understand each other even though we both try hard. Let’s stop right here and pray to God for help. Let’s take time to understand each other. Let’s not rush.”

At that very moment, I felt very peaceful at heart. We both shared a time of liberating peace. What a miracle by admitting our own limitations and give up fighting to be understood. It is also a great liberating peace by realizing that we don’t have to pretend we understand. We should try to understand others and not try to let people understand us. In this way, what we need to do is to listen to others. Very often, we wish other people to understand us and thus we try to talk and talk and talk. Very often we wish other people would just accept our view and agree with us. We would then argue, argue and argue. Real peacemaking is the other way round, we need to listen, listen and listen. We should try our best to understand. But when we fail to understand others, we humbly accept it and try again.

I am sharing this experience because if we wish to take part in the peace making mission, we need to be at peace with ourselves. The peacemaking ministry is for all of us, as God’s people and God’s church. Only when we are bold enough to face our limitations and vulnerabilities are we able to let down our defenses and refrain from hurting others. Only when we have peace inside and are we peace itself, we are able to live a peaceful life with others, and to bring peace to the world.

Many of us may find it hard to accept our limitations and vulnerabilities. It is especially for men and people taking leading or authority positions. Because of this, we fight in order to try to hide our own weakness from others. But we should remember that limitations and vulnerability are part of human nature.

God came to the world in a human form through Jesus Christ. Jesus is identified with humanity fully. Therefore, can we imagine that limitation and vulnerability are also part of God.

The Isaiah vision of a peaceful kingdom is powerful. – ‘the wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them’. In this vision, the strong and the weak stay together in harmony. It is amazing! In this kingdom of peace, there is no more aggression, no more hierarchy. Instead of being manipulated and used, the little one takes the lead. The little one is not ignored. How radical! The beautiful possibilities boggle the imagination!

This vision is not easy to achieve. We are living in the real world, that is in great contrast of this peaceful kingdom. But we are given great promise by God. In Isaiah 11, the people of God and the whole creation will not hurt or destroy on his holy mountain. Whenever we are living in God and our hearts turn to Jesus Christ bearing the fruits worthy repentance, we will be strengthened to live with peace.

John the Baptist, the one who came to prepare the way for the Lord, faithfully did what God called upon him to do. John the Baptist reminded us to repent and bear fruit worthy of repentance. He also reiterated that Christians who had been baptized, their sins were cleansed. Jesus Christ has given us a renewed life through the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, we should not pretend to be disciple of Christ, nor should we be a superficial disciple who has come to worship God and yet our life does not change much for God.

What Jesus hated the most was the hypocrite. John had also warned that Jews should not be complacent. Just like us in KUC, we should not just think that our church has obtained a good reputation of involving in different kinds of justice and peace ministry. We are then feeling good and find no areas for reflection and improvement. No, we need to be self-critical to examine our inner self and hearts. We need to examine ourselves if we have been carrying the emotion of anger, hatred, jealousy, rejection to others and character of aggression inside us. If we do, we have to be bold enough to admit it, to ask God for forgiveness and make changes accordingly.

Here at KUC it is a great challenge to engage as a church of peace. Peace is not just a ceasing of wars and conflict. Peace is not an absence of tensions. Peace is not the disappearance of disagreement. Peace is getting our inner self free from hatred, jealousy, destructive anger and insecurity. Peace is a state of wholeness that leads us to a life with humility without any attempt to control others. Peace is a state of compassion that leads us to treat one other equally, with respect and kindness.

Closing Prayer

God of Peace, Emmanuel, we pray to you, send your light into our hearts. Help us to be ready for the day and the hour of Christ's appearing. Work in our hearts at this time and help us prepare ourselves for the peace that he brings ‒ the inner peace that tells us that we are united with you and the outer peace which will come when he returns to judge the world. Bless our service in the community, that it may be pleasing unto you, and bless us that we may prove to be your faithful witness of Jesus Christ, the prince of peace. Amen.