[Note: this was supposed to be published over a month ago! Whoops! I forgot to hit the “publish” button and then was swept up in Christmas, and then in Winter Break festivities and travels. I hope you’ll allow me the satisfaction of having a complete “set” of Advent posts by publishing this short reflection even though it’s (ahem) a month overdue. ~Many thanks! TC]

 

We’ve come to the fourth and final week of Advent, which is also Christmas Eve. I went back through my previous posts, and the one I wrote about peace didn’t come during Advent but I’m including it here if you’re curious to read it.

 

See what happens if you listen to this piece performed by Yo-yo Ma. I’m betting one million Monopoly money dollars  you’ll come away feeling peaceful:

 

 

There’s something in song as played by Yo-yo Ma that’s mournful yet optimistic, serene but full of kinetic energy. I think that’s similar to peace. It’s not a denial of present turmoil or trouble; but it’s found a way to navigate through those trials without an internal upset to ones own inner balance.

“Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” 

— Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

This does not mean, as the old adage goes, that we’re so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good. But when we have this perspective, believing that things eventually work together for good, that our natural human disposition is one of generosity unless impeded by difficulty or hardship, it eases our discontent and angst.

 

Wishing you a year filled with inner peace and contentment, and outer action aimed towards creating the world you want to live in. Merry Christmas.