Episode Transcript
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Welcome everyone, and may peace be with you.
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I've been invited to share an Advent reflection on peace
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and I thought, what a better place to do it
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than here at our Veterans Care retreat on the side of Mount Tambourine.
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Where veterans and their families come to find new peace
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after having served in times of conflict.
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In the lead up to Christmas,
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and the hope of the coming of a Messiah,
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our scripture readings tell us
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how the people of God longed for peace.
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The prophet Baruch proclaims
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that the Messiah would bring peace,
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through integrity and justice.
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Here in Australia,
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we could expect to have a peaceful and joyous Christmas,
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but in Lebanon, in Israel,
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the occupied Palestinian territories, and in the Ukraine,
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unimaginable suffering continues.
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Now, having spent most of my life as a peacemaker
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deployed to various conflicts.
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I know, it is not only important that we pray for peace,
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but we must actively do something practical
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about promoting peace.
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In most of the conflicts I was deployed in,
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I didn’t carry or use a weapon.
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But I became present to the belligerents,
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listened, and engaged in dialogue.
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But I also called out their bad behaviour,
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knowing how the truth can set us free.
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True peace can only come when the people of God come together
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and implore those who have the power to influence or stop conflict
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or promote peace,
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to act justly, and to act with integrity.
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In both times that I served in the Holy Land,
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it was so obvious to me
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that God came among us in the person of Jesus in that particular place,
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a place where there was rampant tribalism, racism and injustice,
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to witness a new way of living
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that was characterised by loving our neighbours.
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Jesus of course witnessed to that in practical ways by helping and
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caring for peoples of all races and religions.
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Now, it's clear that many people in the Middle East
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who even identify as Godly people,
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still haven’t got that basic message.
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We must love our neighbours.
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As people of God,
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we must not approach conflict situations from
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simplistic polarised positions,
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a third approach,
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a non dual approach is possible.
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I support peace, I support justice,
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I support caring for those that are suffering.
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I reject the indiscriminate use of weapons,
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I demand that humanitarian aid be provided to those in need.
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Well in practical terms what can we do?
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This Christmas we can support those that are suffering
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by making financial gifts
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to those charities that are assisting the millions of people displaced from their homes,
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that are wounded, that are sick, that are starving,
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living under plastic sheets in a freezing winter.
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And we should also be asking our politicians,
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as I have done already,
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to be working in bi-partisan ways
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to see that these conflicts can be brought to a close,
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by proactive diplomacy
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to promote peace,
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and by taking measures to stop the flow of weapons,
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weapons of massive destruction,
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to the belligerent combatants.
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War crimes of monstrous proportions
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are being committed by all combatant groups.
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But they're facilitated
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by the governments of member states of our United Nations,
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including the United States and Iran,
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who continue to provide the flow of many weapons
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that are killing thousands of children and non combatants.
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Integrity demands that we call them out.
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Look, as a military man there is no military solution to these conflicts.
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No side can win by trying to wipe out the other.
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Ceasefire is necessary now.
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We must thank God for the relative peace that we have in our nation,
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but we must also be peacemakers here.
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When conflict arises in our families or communities.
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It can certainly be more comfortable to avoid getting involved,
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but the Christian imperative is that we should get involved,
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get involved in promoting peace,
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in de-escalating disputes,
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in searching for solutions.
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Integrity and authenticity as a Christian
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demands that we act.
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And finally, as Jesus was of to say,
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may peace be with you.
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And make peace go out from you.
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May your Christmas offering, and your gratitude to God,
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be expressed this Christmas
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by some practical act of love,
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following the example of the Prince of Peace,
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Jesus our Lord.
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May God bless you all.
