Hello, everybody, and welcome back to the Fourth Wave podcast. Merry Christmas, everyone. This will wrap up this series on peace for now, and it's fitting that we'll end on Christmas. The closest we generally get to contemplating peace during Christmas time is through singing songs like Silent Night. That song doesn't really imply much more than the idea of tranquility, though.

And not to be too pedantic, but I can't help but think that it was not a whole lot of silence that night. Choir of angels filled the sky, a whiny, screaming newborn, and startled animals. Now I'm not really trying to rip on the historical accuracy of this song, and I do think it's wonderful to contemplate on the serenity that his birth brings, and this song does do that nicely. But I also think that we need to break free from this thinking that the peace received from the incarnation is little more than an inward tranquility. Both birth narratives that we have include frightening angels, panicky and brutal kings, and promises of deliverance from powerful political structures.

Before we discuss the nativity, though, we need to cover a bit of the surrounding it. As Stanley Howarwas notes, the political significance of Jesus's birth flies completely over most contemporary readers' heads because we've confined religion primarily to the private sphere. The gospel of Matthew is unmistakable, though. He does not begin this narrative with the genealogy linking Jesus to the line of king David because he's only interested in people's inner lives. It's a bold declaration that Jesus has reclaimed the title of king for Israel.

Modern audiences may miss this, but Herod sure didn't. His reaction to those rumors, led to him committing mass murder of young children. And nowhere in the narrative are we supposed to think that Herod simply misunderstood this and that his throne was actually safe. Jesus came to reestablish the royal rule, which was in direct conflict with Herod and his rule. In Luke two eleven to twelve and fourteen, we read, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he's pleased. Did you catch that? There's a link. There's a link between salvation, the city of David, our savior, the Christ the lord. He's the savior there.

And between peace, our savior comes and brings peace on earth. And in light of the songs that Mary and Zechariah sang in the previous chapter, they should be shocking to those most familiar with a more passive reading of the birth narratives. When Mary praises the savior, she contemplates on his bringing down the mighty from their thrones, filling the poor with food while sending the rich away hungry. He's also shown strength with his arm, which is used to show God's physical presence, usually in a form of military might. And Zechariah, he reflects on this event as the guiding of us in the way of peace by saving us from our enemies.

Herod was right to be scared. While admittedly not going for his throne in the way he expected, what Jesus brought was nothing less than a revolution against the principalities of powers, of which, of course, Herod was a part. In a world of insecure rulers that murder children to maintain power, Jesus comes in quiet confidence lifting people up. Rulers of the world rule by fear. Nowadays, our rulers tend to be a bit more tricky because they understand that exposing their iron fist will lead to the followers abandoning them and they have no power other than that which the people give them.

So they hide it and they keep as much control as they are able to while still keeping the masses placated. And this is why we find out so much of the corruption of the government only within the shadows. The president doesn't seem like Herod the child murderer. He commands missiles to be fired which kill children. And anyone who voices a strong opposition to his power and seems to have any sort of a chance of actually getting a following or having an actual opposition towards him is quickly labeled as a terrorist or whatever the big catchword of the time is, which scares the population and rallies them to his side.

But Jesus does none of these things. He heals the sick, preaches to, and feeds the poor, has mercy on the outcast, and befriends the enemy. He does all of this in broad daylight because he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear. The rulers of this world have much to hide and fear everything, which is why they kill Jesus. He exposes what they truly are.

On Christmas Day, God became human. He humbled himself in a way none of us would and in so doing has brought peace. Peace and is emptying. He's broken those who suppose themselves full. We are still living in a world full of leaders like Herod.

Jesus' coming, even before his death, took that worldly power from them. Yet take note that without Herod's schemes, the wise men would likely have never sought out and found the Messiah. Without Pilate's spineless actions or the religious leader's slight tactics, Jesus would never have been crucified. Jesus used those in power to ultimately defeat them. Those who are currently waving their power around now also believe that they are on top, but God can and will use even their evil actions for his own good.

I am not trying to discuss the odyssey here or explain bad things away. Jesus didn't come to tell people to stop complaining about their problems because the problems were ultimately good, but he did sit with betrothed people, taught and healed them. Social, societal, and governmental stigma be damned. The government will not bring about peace. Individualism and keeping to ourselves will not bring about peace.

Both actually farther unshallom. Full peace will see the disintegration of governments which largely serve to divide us. It will see the disappearance of people walking around as little islands simply not hurting others and thinking that that is good enough. Through the Incarnation, love of God and love of humans are united. With that unity, we humans can also become united with both God and other humans.

This unity is peace. Shalom. So Merry Christmas once again. God has come to earth and is with us, freeing us from the shackles of this world, defeating those who oppress us, and bringing peace on earth. And that's all for now.

So peace. And because I'm a pacifist, when I say it, I mean it.