Peace on Earth?

William Blake's painting, The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun

I am almost finished with the One Year Bible for another year and am reading the Book of Revelation, an apocalyptic vision described by the author "John". The book has been fodder for many end-time predictions, most of which have not come true. But the 12th chapter struck me today as an alternate version of the nativity of Jesus Christ which focuses on the battle between good and evil in the spiritual realm. While we celebrate our white-washed, culturally altered version of the nativity, many in the world are tragically experiencing the dangers of war and conflict in a very personal way. I think about those in Ukraine displaced and others suffering in the cold and dark because of Russian attacks on power grids. Those who have not lived through war cannot imagine what it must be like to be under threat of missile attacks day after day. 

William Blake was a poet and artist of the 18th and early 19th centuries. He challenged the norms of society at the time and his work was not widely appreciated while he was alive. Until today, I only knew him as the poet who wrote the lyrics of the hymn Jerusalem. I was looking for an image of the events described in Revelation 12 and came across his four Great Red Dragon paintings.*

Then another sign appeared in heaven: 

an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.

Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. 

The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth 

so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. Rev. 12:3-4

We sing about peace on earth, joy to the world, silent nights and holly jolly Christmases, but our world is not calm, bright, cheerful and peaceful. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poem called Christmas Bells on December 25, 1863, during the American Civil War. It was set to music in 1872 and is known today as I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. Longfellow wrote in the last two stanzas,

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, goodwill to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, goodwill to men."

Will peace on earth ever come? When will righteousness, justice, lovingkindness and truth prevail? In the Revelator's vision, the woman clothed in the sun and her son were pursued for an extended period as the dragon caused havoc on earth. 

 

Doctors of the World Charity cards

A few years ago, the British charity Doctors of the World sold Christmas cards to raise funds for their work, particularly in the Syrian civil war zone. On their website, they wrote,

“Every Christmas a romanticized picture is presented of the Holy Land of the past, featuring peaceful pastoral images that are shared in homes, churches and high streets across the country. This is completely at odds with the humanitarian crisis that the region faces today."

And so another year has passed as 'we wait for the wrong to fail and the right to prevail'. The gospel writer John recorded Jesus' final discourse with his disciples on the eve of his death. He said in John 14:27,

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 

I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The Apostle Paul in Colossians 3 expands the idea further when he says in Colossians 3:12-15,

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, 

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. 

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, 

since as members of one body you were called to peace. 

And be thankful."

Sadly, many who call themselves 'God's chosen people' have not acted in the way described above and have fueled hatred and division. But in a world filled with uncertainty and unrest, we can have inner peace and hope for the future. And as people filled with Christ's compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and love, we can bring peace to our corner of the earth.

( *I would love to have a Bible illustrated by William Blake but I think he died before finishing his illustrations of the scriptures. His art is Public Domain)