Slower pace and restfulness of this week between Christmas and New Year

Looking from the window from the flat of one of the children in Frankfurt, I notice the quite opposite street with the university building, not many people passing by. At home in Belgium, even living in the countryside, we always have a lot of noise, much more than here in this big German financial city and much more than when I lived in London.

The 24th until the 26th we had one family gathering after the other. Having very good food, having eaten more than we should have done, there was also the business of all chatting and laughing.

Today there were actually not that many people in the streets and shops of Frankfurt city, where the sales were trying to entice people to spend some money anyway.

After the busy, noisy celebration of Christmas, the slower pace and restfulness of this week, between Christmas and New Year’s is for many somehow refreshing.

These days, perhaps many of us shall not follow so much the news events and shall let the world pass the family places. The calmness may come over us. Now we also can think of the man who came to earth so many centuries ago. He preached about the way we better should live. But not so many people wanted or want to listen to him. There were even several people who wanted him dead, and managed to have him killed as a murderer, hanged at the wooden stake.

Several Christians remembered, a few days ago, the birth of that Nazarene man, who shall bring peace to us all. For many, this holiday season is the special occasion that they think of the one who can give peace in our hearts and who can bring peace to the world. Would it be not nice if we could enjoy true peace? Also, being at peace would already be nice. Finding a serene, relaxing, time with no worries. How many of us would not love to get away from the trials and tribulations of everyday life. We should know, we do have to find first peace and love in our own hearts, before we can find peace outside ourselves.

The world is still waiting for that moment of ‘eternal peace’, but for sure it shall come one day.

Finding peace is what most of us would like to do. There is a peace and rest available to us that is deep enough to remain even in the most hectic times, and secure enough to withstand the most severe troubles.

The state we are living in, is man’s own fault. We also have our past, that we should dare to put away and forget about it all. That Nazarene master teacher, some 2 000 years ago, gave us a good example of how to live, but not many want to follow his teachings. In case already all those who call themselves Christian would keep to those teachings of Christ, we would already have a much better world.

Here on the European continent, we have seen many wars, where both fighting parties prayed that God would be at their side and help them to conquer the enemy. Instead of wondering if God would not disagree with them fighting. Some thought after World War II the fighting is now done over, but they are mistaken. The Yugoslavian wars and the recent invasion of Ukraine have proven how fragile peace in our region is.

Even in a part of the world that has been free from open war for a couple of generations, we have increased the security measures and still are not sure, there will be no invasions by foreign troops. We would love to see the space around us free of any danger of intrusion, terrorism, or fear for something bad to happen.

Oh, so often, people point their fingers at another. So many times we do hear that the trouble or fight is there, because of the other. But on the other hand, there are also many who do not believe enough in themselves and are afraid of the other. Such a negative attitude for themselves means that they cannot find peace in themselves. Finding inner peace is very important and necessary to be able to spread peace to others. In these dark days at the end of the year, let’s consider how we may or may not even have disrupted the peace of others, and how we can correct mistakes we have made.

We personally will not be able to do much about the war raging in Ukraine. But we can avoid any small ‘war’ around us and if we see resentment somewhere and find iniquity, we can make an attempt and take a measure to put an end to it.

For many Jews, Jeshuaists and Christians the last few days have been a “time of light”. By more than one miracle God has provided light in the world, and that light we should also show to others around us. Be it Chanukah or Christmas, when we put on the many candles or electric lights, it should be a sign we want to let others know about that light that can shine, because it is the Elohim Who provides the possibility. Both festivals are no holidays for seriousness, but for joy and glory.
And that means spreading light and joy.

These days we best meditate on whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is good, and whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy.  We all have a Book of books offered to us in which we can find the way to the truth and the way to inner but also outer peace. That book should be our guide and give our hope for that peace that shall come, because all promises made in that book have or shall come true.

 

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Preceding

What Are You Seeking?

We all have to have dreams

Christians at War? Christians using violence?

How to Find the Meaning of Life and Reach a State of Peace

High time to show the way to peace

As always God has a Plan

Window 190 – The door to our truth, can only be opened from within

True happiness, love and perfection

Being a Light in the World Award

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Additional reading

1. Just an Ordinary Day
2. Identity Crisis By millennials
3. Honest-hearted people are losing faith in humanity and humanity losing faith in God
4. Spark Understanding, Stitch Connections
5. Facilitations of science and loss of peace of mindA new decade, To open the eyes to get a right view
6. Man’s own fault and the choice to flee from fear
7. How much does man wants to be dependent on a Divine Creator?
8. All I want is peace!!!
9. Running away from the past
10. Looking forward to the return of Jesus
11. Give your tears to God
12. Cry out to Yahweh
13. In the night His song shall be with me
14. Fullness of summer and abundance of harvest found in the satisfying plenitude of life in Christ
15. Will There Ever be Peace on Earth?
16. Look It Squarely In The Eye, And Say….
17. Israel, Fitting the Plan when people allow it
18. Memorizing wonderfully 48 John 16:33 That you may have peace
19. Looking for True Spirituality 8 Measuring Up
20. Not daring to show a connection
21. The quest for peace and order
22. Peace not the absence of disturbance
23. Poetry of Peace
24. Today’s thought “The breastplate of faith” (November 18)
25. Today’s thought “What sorrow awaits rebellious people” (December 17)
26. When examining ourselves
27. Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness
28. Come ye yourselves apart … and rest awhile (Mark 6:31)
29. Ambassadors showing hope and a world of peace
30. Being comforted by the Most High and His familyThe World framed by the Word of God
31. Memorizing wonderfully 48 John 16:33 That you may have peace
32. Sings of the times – Difficult moments at the borders of Europe
33. Scripture words written for our learning, given by inspiration of God for edification
34. Not studying an abstract and arcane text of the ancient world
35. Only once and with consequences
36. Christian in Christendom or in Christianity
37. Back from gone #3 Giving worries to God and believing in His promises
38. Humbleness
39. Hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark
40. Faith is knowing there is an ocean because you have seen a brook.

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Related

1. Christmas at grandma’s
2. Safe Space
3. Peace
4. Peace Prevails
5. Peace and Purpose in A Psalm
6. Finding Peace
7. Darkness
8. Happiness
9. The Peace of the Lord – Sermon for December 29, 2013
10. Strive to Enter God’s Rest – Sermon on Hebrews 4:9-13 (Feb 23/24, 2014)
11. Forgive Us As We Forgive Others – Midweek Sermon (April 9, 2014)
12. Peace Be With You – Sermon for Quasimodo Geniti (April 27th/28, 2014)
13. Keep Away From Mutual Enmity
14. Useful Ways of Leading a Happy Life – Imam As-Sa’dee
15. Guidelines with regard to Criticizing Individuals and Groups – Shaikh Rabee’
16. Christmas Tidings
17. Safe Space
18. Embrace doing nothing.
19. Live Lightly and Peacefully
20. EGW Inspirational Quotes
21. Daily Scripture Series – Dec. 28th
22. Living in the Faith
23. Ukraine latest: Kremlin rules out peace plan that does not recognize annexed regions
24. Give Yourself Permission to Change
25. Wednesday Blessings