Prince of Peace

Celebrating Christmas is a beautiful way to come together as brothers and sisters. I thank you for this opportunity that you have given me to share my thoughts with you. But above all I thank you for your presence, because celebrating Christmas is a way to share peace with the world, and to give peace to all who need it now.

Celebrating Christmas is celebrating the Prince of Peace, who was born more than 2000 years ago. He was poor, but he stood for non-violence and peace, he stood for truth and compassion. If we have gathered here together to celebrate Christmas and the Prince of Peace, then we too need to stand for what he stood: love and peace, joy and truth, and non-violence. In my opinion, we should not merely celebrate this event, but carry home the values that Christ stood for. We too in a special way need to be convinced of peace.

Yes, dear friends, celebrating Christmas also means that we need to value peace in our hearts, in our homes, in our country, and in our world.

But at the same time, war, violence and conflicts have become normal in our day. We are no more surprised by the various terrorist attacks that happen around the world. Fights between nations are escalating by the day. Is there any hope? Can we even talk about peace? Is it even worth talking about Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace?

Living in the North East of India, we too have our share of problems of violence and strife. We too like elsewhere in the world have experienced ethnic conflicts and cultural conflicts. But we need to ask ourselves, “What could we learn from the various cultural conflicts that the region has experienced in the past few decades?” Interaction among cultures is no more an option or exception, but the rule. So much of growth can come about by these interactions, and at the same time there can be misunderstanding and conflicts in this process. We need to avoid such misunderstandings and conflicts, but more importantly we may have to learn how to handle them. That is the major challenge of all the cultural groups around the world, not just in the North East.

How can we be peacemakers? It begins by being peace ourselves, by connecting with the source of peace within ourselves. It also means standing up in non-violent resistance to systems of injustice. It involves learning the skills of non-violent communication and conflict resolution.

We are connected to each other as human beings. Peace is nothing but maintaining this connection, and not losing the focus of our inter-connection between each other. We cannot avoid one another any longer, and we do only at our own loss.

There will always be differences among us. But that is only way to maintain our richness. We are created by God with a lot of differences. So I should say that we need to celebrate the differences between us. Celebrating Christmas is also celebrating our differences: cultural differences, language differences, tribal group differences, religious differences, etc. By celebrating our diversities and differences we can be united as one. And that is one important way to achieve peace in our world.

So by helping each other we can create peace in the world. But there is another way that should go along with this method. That is nothing but allowing God who is the Prince of Peace to rule our hearts and our families. Without God our project of peace will not take shape. We need God’s help, and guidance. We need God’s blessings for our peacemaking efforts.

Therefore, dear friends, brothers and sisters, let us be convinced about the necessity of peace and non-violence in the world. Violence is not a solution to violence and war; violence is never a solution to any problem in the world. Some of us might think that I want to do good by using war and violence. But how can I wage a war against war? Can I use violence against violence? Can I use blood to wash blood? Is that possible? Of course, I feel with the victim, I suffer with the victims. That is compassion. The world is suffering, and I acknowledge it, and I accept the suffering that comes from the human condition. But am I not using the same standard of violence and destruction if I want to “destroy” someone else. Violence begets violence, violence is not the solution, it is always a problem.

Today I would like to leave the example of Etty Hillesum, who was not even 30 when she was deported and killed in Auschwitz concentration camp by the Nazis. This young woman found peace and God amidst her pain and suffering. She also found the deepest meaning of life amidst pain and suffering. She created little spaces of freedom for herself and others. She beautifully puts it: “Each of us must destroy in oneself all that we think we ought to destroy in others. Every atom of hate that we add to this world makes it still more inhospitable.” We must let go of our anger and violence however small it may be.

Dear friends, there is no way to peace, but peace is the way. There is no way to love, but love is the way. There is no way to compassion, but being compassionate is the only way. I repeat, there is no way to peace. Peace is the way. Means are as important as the end. Means and ends must be in complete agreement. Violence as means will be always beget violence. War will always produce more war. Violence can never bring about true peace. We cannot balance one evil with another. Therefore our means should be peaceful means. That is the only way to achieve unity, harmony, peace and true joy in our region, and in our world.

And let us remember that: When we find God we find peace, and whenever we find peace we find God.

God the Almighty is the Prince of Peace.

I would like end this talk with the words of Bible—from Psalm 85:

I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace,

peace for his people and his friends and those who turn to him in their hearts.

His help is near for those who fear him and his glory will dwell in our land.

Mercy and faithfulness have met; justice and peace have embraced.

Faithfulness shall spring from the earth and justice look down from heaven.

We can’t achieve peace by ourselves; we need God’s help and we need each other’s help.

Let us achieve peace in our hearts, and that’s only way we can give peace to the world.

Be the peace that you want to see in the world.

Don’t just pray for answers, be the answer!