“Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men.”
What is the meaning of these words, proclaimed by angels to first-century shepherds out tending their flocks by night?
Certainly, this famous passage from Saint Luke’s Gospel did not indicate that war, envy, murder and strife were ending with the birth of Jesus Christ.
In fact, for the proceeding 2,000 years mankind has struggled against sin and its myriad consequences. To this day, war mars the very land where Jesus was born, carried out his ministry, endured his crucifixion and gloriously rose from the dead.
In our own state, we continue to struggle against forces that seek to destroy innocent unborn babies, confuse children about their biological sexuality, erode the rights of parents, undermine religious liberties and destroy the nuclear family – the bedrock of any flourishing society.
In truth, it can only be found in a profound surrender to the Creator of the Universe – total abandonment to God, who is Love Himself.
The peace he brings cannot be extinguished by sickness, old age, the loss of our beloved, or godless rulers and tyrannical governments. These dark clouds are pierced by the peace of Christ, which echoes in the hearts of men.
We still suffer, but not without the greatest hope, which kindles acts of heroic love, sacrifice and generosity that have often left this wounded world in awe.
With this in mind, let us fill our churches, raise our voices, ring the bells and continue to affirm that an unmatched peace has indeed entered the world through the birth of a child named Jesus.
Merry Christmas, Alaska.
— Joel Davidson, editor in chief
11 Comments
peace on earth came by a slaughter and great suffering by an innocent volunteer!
Dave, you need to switch to Folgers!
Merry Christmas and Christ’s choicest blessings to the Davidson and Libbey families! Thank you for raising the lamp throughout our great state and beyond!
explain
Maxwell house isn’t what i drink! BLACK RIFLE, OR DUNKIN DONUT COFFEE IS WHAT I PREFER!
Haha…maybe put a little cream and sugar in it this Christmas Season to sweeten up a little? :-). Merry Christmas!
I have found that Kirkland Dark Roast, fine grind, is mighty good, 8 – 9 cups per day, and hydrometer certified… If the spoon hits the bottom of the cup immediately, it is too weak.
COVFEFE is a worthwhile brand, too.
And Happy Hanukkah!
Hannukah: that suppressed and heroic stand by the Holy Maccabeus Family, erased from Protestant Bibles. It is fervently hoped that what they endured and suffered will someday be appreciated by all Christians, not just Jews, Catholics and Orthodox. For those unaware of what happened in those two action-packed books, you can look them up online. You will not be disappointed.
Thanks, Joel. The peace of Christ surpasseth all understanding. We do well to remember that in the end, Jesus wins.
Peace on Earth isn’t possible.while the US is exporting billions and billions of dollars to prop up genocidal apartheid colonly. Israel was the biggest mistake the US ever made. We are sending them the Healthcare and elder are we will never get in our lifetimes.