ADVENT 2024: Four ways to discover peace through the practices of Advent

A familiar tension begins to build as Christmas music is heard in stores where weary store clerks take down Halloween displays. Black Friday sales invade my In Box in mid-November from stores I have never visited. I want to whisper words that if spoken may later show up on my computer screen through targeted ads. Commercials somehow have arrived on my streaming shows and flashing billboards announce what we already know, "Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming!" The tension has birthed full-blown anxiety by the day after Thanksgiving. I guess maybe that is why it is called Black Friday. 

"Does this sound vaguely familiar?"

For many, the approach of Christmas sparks a flurry of activity—shopping lists grow longer, schedules are filled with festive obligations, and the pressure to create a "perfect" holiday can feel overwhelming and virtually impossible. Our culture does not promote a gradual unwinding at the end of the year and barely reflects a season of faith. 

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We must be intentional to discover quiet in the cacophony of sound, and peace in the chaos of the season. It is much like stepping from a busy New York City sidewalk, where the "merry" jockey for position at the traffic light on Fifth Avenue, into the stillness of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The utter beauty of the holiness transcends denominational differences. It invites voices to lower to murmuring whispers or mere silence. In awe, we stand. 

We may not have the opportunity to walk into St. Patrick’s Cathedral, but we can enter the presence of the Lord in our own sacred spaces of faith. These may be the churches we attend on Sunday but can also be discovered in the environment we create in our homes. 

Holy places are not defined by beautiful architecture, grand steeples, and walnut pews. They are defined by the places where we feel God’s presence, His Holiness, and His peace. Amid this chaos, the church offers us a gentle invitation: the season of Advent. Far from the glitter and noise, Advent calls us to pause, to wait, and, most importantly, to find peace.

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Advent is, at its heart, a paradoxical season. It invites us to hold two realities in tension: the ache of waiting and the joy of expectation. We remember Israel’s long anticipation of the Messiah while looking forward to Christ’s return. But Advent isn’t just about recalling a historical event or envisioning a future promise. It’s a deeply personal journey, an opportunity to encounter the Prince of Peace in the here and now.

Yet peace, for many of us, feels elusive. We live in a world where division, distraction, and despair often drown out the still, small voice of God. Even within us, inner peace can be hard to find. Our minds race with worries about work, family, finances, and the state of the world. How, then, can we embrace the peace Advent promises?

The answer lies in the very rhythm of Advent itself. The season offers us practices that, if embraced, can quiet the noise and make room for the peace Christ longs to give.

The Practice of Waiting

We live in a culture of instant gratification. From same-day delivery to streaming on demand, we’re conditioned to avoid waiting at all costs. But Advent invites us to lean into the discomfort of waiting.

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Waiting, in the biblical sense, isn’t passive. It’s an active trust in God’s timing, a willingness to believe that He is at work even when we cannot see the results. This kind of waiting requires us to surrender control and embrace vulnerability—a challenge for those of us accustomed to solving problems and checking items off our lists. But it’s precisely in the act of relinquishing control that we make space for God’s peace to take root in our hearts.

The Practice of Reflection

Advent also calls us to reflect, to take stock of our lives and examine our hearts. In a world that moves at breakneck speed, reflection can feel like a luxury, but it’s a necessity for those seeking peace.

Reflection invites us to acknowledge our anxieties, name our fears, and confess the ways we’ve fallen short. It’s a time to remember that peace isn’t something we manufacture; it’s a gift from God. And it’s in the quiet moments of reflection—whether through prayer, journaling, or meditating on Scripture—that we open ourselves to receive that gift.

The Practice of Hope

Finally, Advent reminds us to hope. Hope, like peace, can feel elusive in our broken world. But Advent hope is not a vague optimism or a denial of reality. It’s a confident expectation rooted in the promises of God.

Hope sustains us when the waiting feels long, and the burdens feel heavy. It reminds us that Christ has already come to bring peace and that He will come again to make all things new. And in the meantime, hope enables us to live as agents of peace in a world desperately in need of it.

Finding Peace in the Here and Now

The beauty of Advent is that it meets us where we are. Whether we’re carrying the weight of grief, stress, or unmet expectations, Advent assures us that peace is possible—not because our circumstances will change, but because God is with us amid them.

The Apostle Paul captures this beautifully in Philippians 4:7: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." This peace isn’t dependent on external factors. It’s a peace that surpasses logic, a peace that guards us like a fortress even in the storm.

As we light the candles of Advent—hope, peace, joy, and love—may we allow their flickering flames to illuminate the path to peace. May we embrace the waiting, the reflecting, and the hoping. And may we find, in the stillness of this sacred season, the peace our souls long for.

It becomes our choice. Choose to avoid the places that create tension, and create the sacred spaces where the practices of Advent help us discover the peace we long for and cherish.