When the angel army sang to those shepherds in the field that Christmas night, their song was of two things most needed in the world:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
Glory and peace.
Giving God glory means recognizing him for who he really is. It means the end of ignoring him, the end of rebelling against him. It means considering him in the small and the large details of our lives. It means obeying his call for justice in the world, so that it will be the good creation he intended in the first place. It means the end of bowing our knees to false gods and pretenders who in their broken humanity attempt to ascend to the place of God. It means the end of fear as we fear/reverence the Lord.
And peace on earth means the end of warring against God, the end of warring against each other. It means the end of bickering spouses, the end of arguing siblings. It means wholeness and wellness. It means healed relationships, healed bodies, healed minds, healed souls. It means purposeful work. It means food on every table and a roof over every head. It means the absence of fear and the presence of laughter. It means a song in the heart and a dance in the step.
Glory and peace. They are the gifts God longs for us to unwrap. They are the essence of the kingdom of heaven come among us. They have already come to us in Jesus but will be fully among us only when the fullness of his kingdom arrives with his return.
They are what we long for. They are what we pray for.
Maranatha! Our Lord, come!
Bring peace. Be glorified.
These are tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy!