This famous peace symbol was created in 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a British textile designer and conscientious objector during World War II. He created the symbol by combining two semaphore flags: N and D, standing for "nuclear disarmament." Now, more than fifty years after the peace symbol was invented, it still remains incredibly familiar and widely used.
This week's lectionary texts speak to us in a number of ways about the promise of peace. They tell us of the rejoicing that there will be when God's peace descends on the world, but also make clear that we are not to simply wait for peace to come to us: we must help to bring peace to our planet.
The prophet Zephaniah offers an exuberant call to praise, reminding his listeners to remember the victory and peace that God shall bring to them:
"Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgements against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more." (Zephaniah 3:14-15)
God promises to restore God's people, explains Zephaniah, renewing them in love. Moreover, writes the prophet, God will pay special attention to the weakest and least powerful: "And I will save the lame, and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth" (Zephaniah 3:19).
Isaiah offers a similar reflection on God's goodness, writing, "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2). God can be counted on; God will not forget God's promises to save and renew God's people.
Isaiah's words are full of beautiful imagery and calls to rejoicing: "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation...Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously...Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion" (Isaiah 12:3, 5-6).
Zephaniah and Isaiah both are prophets, bringing the promise of God's redemption and peace to suffering people. Their words are filled with excitement and joy. But the words of John the Baptist in this week's passage from Luke seem far more sober. John, speaking to the men and women who have come seeking baptism, likely startles them by exclaiming, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:7-8). John seems to be warning that no one is exempt from the call to carry out good deeds and repent from sin.
John then proclaims a message of generosity and peace, telling his followers that they ought to share their clothing and food, be honest in their dealings with one another, and refrain from extortion (Luke 3:11-13).
But not all of what John has to say about peace is warm and fuzzy. Speaking about the coming of Christ, he warns, "He will baptize you with the Holy Sprit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (Luke 3:16-17). And we also read in Zephaniah, perhaps troublingly, that God is coming as "a warrior who gives victory" (Zephaniah 3:17).
What does it mean that we are called to live as peaceful people, but that we also read that God can be portrayed as a warrior, or as someone who will burn the chaff with "unquenchable fire"? Perhaps the authors of these texts want us to know how strongly God hates injustice and oppression, and realized that intense, even warlike imagery is the best way to get that message across.
Whatever the case -- and however much we may struggle with what it means to try to bring about God's peace in a world fraught with seemingly never-ending violence and injustice -- the words of Paul in Philippians offer powerful reflection on the power of peace:
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7)
In the fifty years since Gerald Holtom invented the now ubiquitous peace symbol, the number of nuclear weapons has peaked, and then fallen. But there are still over 30,000 nuclear warheads on this planet, to say nothing of the countless other weapons, wars, and scourges of poverty and famine. This Advent, let us remember that God has not only promised us peace through Jesus Christ, but has called each of us to actively work for a peaceful and just world in whatever ways we can.
For more information about the peace symbol, see this article.
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