"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:"
Luke 12:51
It is interesting that Christ, the Prince of Peace, says this. It doesn't mean that promoting and publishing peace isn't a good idea. The scriptures reinforce elsewhere that this is a good idea. I think what Christ is talking about here is that peace isn't the ultimate, most important goal. If it were, then perhaps any peace would do... an ignorant sleep where we stop worrying about things and just go with the flow for instance. Christ is the champion of Good, and his peace is a peace of love, service, generosity, and good tidings. It is a peace where we help each other and lift each other up, working to repair relationships and heal hearts. It is a peace that does not embrace evil or sacrifice principles, but that loves people where they are, as they are trying to become better.
There will be division, as the sheep from the goats, or the wheat from the tares, but our job isn't to stop division or beat it into submission, but rather to show that God, and the peace and happiness that He brings is the right choice. We can help Christ as we work to get ourselves and other people over to his side, where we can learn His peace... a lasting, sustainable peace that stays in our hearts long after the holiday season is over. Eventually there will be peace on Earth, but first we have to work for it, and teach ourselves to be peacemakers, finding ways to do all that we do in His name and in His way, working to internalize his teachings and become the kind of people who can build a Zion society.
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