Every year, the phrase, “Peace on Earth, good will toward men” shows up again and again on Christmas cards, banners, and in songs. Tt comes straight from Luke’s Gospel where the angels announce the birth of Jesus to shepherds in a dark field. But here’s the honest question, were the angels wrong?

Why does the world still feel so loud? So divided? So anxious? We’ve got more technology than ever; more wealth than ever; and more comfort than most humans in history. And yet, peace feels scarce.

When we hear “peace on earth,” we usually think big picture. No more wars; no more injustice; no more political division; and no more unrest. It’s the classic answer — “I want world peace.” The hard truth is: we are unlikely to see global peace. Why? Because by nature, we’re at war. Not just with each other, but with ourselves. And instead of addressing it from that point of view, we try shortcuts. We turn to pharmacology to numb it. Or technology to distract ourselves from it. But peace doesn’t come from escaping today’s world or discomfort. If your peace depends on everything going right, that’s not peace - that’s control.

We keep looking for peace where it cannot live. Peace is not the absence of chaos. Peace is the presence of something deeper. Peace can exist in noise and chaos. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” The sun rises to displace darkness. Yet it doesn’t happen in an instant like throwing a light switch. It rises slowly. And darkness retreats. Infusing our world with peace is a similar process. Too many of us want to be able to just flip the switch.

Jesus knew what was coming - betrayal, suffering, death - and yet still said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” The Hebrew word He used, shalom, means more than calm. It means wholeness, restoration, and being put back together.

Peace isn’t something you wish for. Robert Fulghum said it best: “Peace is something you make, something you do, something you are, something you give away.” We cannot give what we do not have. We cannot bring peace to the world if we ourselves are not peaceful. We cannot ‘do’ peace unless we are ‘at peace’. Take time to find peace, it is something we all long for, but rarely take the time and effort to obtain and grant.