Project Coordinator for the Executive Director
and Communications Coordinator
The Advent Season is a time of forgiveness and preparation as we wait for the arrival of the Prince of Peace. In this season, peace is the light at the end of the tunnel and is so desperately needed. And yet we know that this peace will not just be bestowed upon us, but rather that we, collectively, need to actively work towards it.
Peace can be found and created in a variety of ways. One of the most powerful ways to gain peace is through forgiveness. In fact, we are reminded of the power of forgiveness every time we pray,
“Our Father.”
“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Yet what does it take to be forgiven? To forgive? For one, we must acknowledge our faults, self-recognition of our wrongdoings, and repent. Matthew 3:1-12 tells the story of John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness about how, through repentance, one can prepare for the New Kingdom to come.
As I pray for the child given to me by the Let Children Live campaign, I reflect on whether the children who have lived through the mass atrocities inflicted upon them, which are funded and backed by my country, will ever find it in their hearts to forgive us. The child for whom I pray is named “Saif,” which literally translates to “sword,” but also means strength, power, bravery, and protection. I have no other information about him other than he is 7 years old, and lives in Palestine. As I go about my days, experiencing new things, Saif will make his way into my thoughts. I picture him watching his village get raided by IDF soldiers bearing weapons marked with “Made in USA” while I walk to the subway. I see him sitting in a flooded tent in the Gaza Strip while I stand on the lakeside in Michigan staring out at the open water.
While I reap the fruits and benefits of what my country has to offer to its citizens, Saif is reaping the effects of an economy built on war profiteering and weapons exports. I wonder when he will be able not only to enjoy the basic necessities of life such as peace and safety, but also the truly beautiful experiences such as taking a walk in the woods, going swimming in a waterfall, or hiking to the top of the mountain to marvel at the beauty that God has placed around us without a threat on his life.
And so on this advent, following the example set by John the Baptist, I’m praying for repentance:
I pray that we as the citizens of the United States change our ways
The ways in which we engage with the world are not just
Our wealth is made on the exploitation and death of others
I pray that we may be guided to the light
That rather than engaging in war making we engage in peace building
I pray that the immense power that the U.S. has is used for the good of many rather than the benefit of the few
I pray, Oh Lord, that you forgive us for our sins
Forgive us for the complicity of the nation
And help us seek a better path
Amen.
This Advent season, may we remember the values that Jesus Christ came down to teach us.
May we remember that peace is always worth struggling for.
And most importantly, let us remember that we have the potential to make a change in times when we feel the most powerless.
