Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
With my whole being, I wish you peace, especially during this season in which peace is such an integral part of the Christmas message.
This has been a difficult year for our country, testing the faith, generosity, determination, resolve, and courage of our people and our leaders, especially following the Sept. 11 tragedies in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. We have passed the test superbly and have, in fact, become a "new nation," with a heightened awareness and appreciation of our liberty and our freedoms. We undoubtedly will hesitate to take them for granted in the future.
Into our troubled and hurting world, the Prince of Peace deigned to appear, without scepter or royal robes, without attendants at court, silently slipping into a stable cave, warmed by nearby lowly beasts and the embrace of His mother. The heralding angels may have alerted nearby shepherds to acknowledge His arrival; but, other than that, His first night on this earth was a quiet and peaceful one. That was not so shortly afterwards, and it is not so today.
The words of the Lord to Jeremiah for the Jewish community in Babylon may well be applied to our Savior's mission and to our human condition: "I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring about peace and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for. Then will you call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will answer you. You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart" (Jer 29:11-12)
Did we as a people not seek Him "with all our hearts" in September, searching for that peace He came to bring, as our nation knelt in prayer for the victims and the lost ones? Has this peace eluded our grasp as leaders of the allied nations search for ways to respond fittingly without undue loss of life to a calamity beyond our anticipation? And will this all end in a fragile peace, or will the results achieved and the coalition built lead to a true and lasting peace?
Why is this peace that Christ came to bring so difficult for us to realize? It is because, I believe, we have not truly heard and heeded Christ's message of and conditions for peace. Thus, let us pray during this Christmas season that, in the coming New Year, humanity will embrace the peace that Christ so much longed to bring to each and every heart.
If and when we exchange this precious spiritual gift among ourselves, with hands and hearts open, weapons of hatred and intolerance will be recycled into spontaneous acts of kindness, respect and consideration. In the final analysis, peace can be achieved only when each one of us brushes aside the barriers that prevent its growth.
The key for the growth of peace is a clear and unambiguous recognition of and appreciation for the fact that each and every person is loved by our Creator and, therefore, is a treasure beyond price.
In the words of Isaiah, "Once more [then], God will send us His Spirit....Everywhere in the land, righteousness and justice will be done. Because everyone will do what is right, there will be peace and security forever. God's people will be free from worries, and their homes peaceful and safe" (Isaiah 32: 15-18).
Christ said, "Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you; do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid" (John 14: 27).
I pray that each and every heart be soothed and mended by His peace...that every tear will be wiped away...that the peace and good will of all on earth will gift-wrap our planet this Christmas...and that this gift will be opened and shared without measure.
This Christmas, let us unite our prayers seeking the Prince of Peace "with all our hearts": interceding for our troubled and violence-torn world, and seeking Christ's peace partnered with justice...for His justice tempered by compassion...and for His wisdom readily available for the peacemakers who are striving to achieve that noble goal.
May this Christmas bring you and your loved ones great joy of heart and peace beyond understanding.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
Bishop of Albany