Prints of Peace

For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests on his shoulders and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Children have a funny way of misunderstanding the words we say.  Sometimes what they hear has such insight that we hestitate to correct them, like the child who heard these names for the expected Messiah and heard... Prints of Peace, rather than Prince of Peace.



Where have you seen prints of peace in your life? 

Where have you left prints of peace? 

Where would you pray for prints of peace?











Later in Isaiah's prophesy, there is a description of the prints we might see in God's peaceable kingdom.


The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 11:6

I have enjoyed in the last few months seeing what creative parents have done with dinosaurs and elves.  Have you seen them?  Recently, I have seen a few images of unusual visitors to nativity scenes.  One parent wondered if it was okay that their child had put a hippopotamus and a pig in the scene.  Yes!  Advent is a time to use our holy imaginations!  I mean who would imagine wolves and lambs? calves and lions? sisters and brothers?  estranged friends?  waring nations? walking together in peace?

Who would you dare to bring to the manger?  What unlikely pairs would you like to see there?

Look this week for prints of peace as we look with hope for the coming reign of the Prince of Peace.

Prayer:
Come Lord Jesus,
Renew our imaginations with the vision of your coming peace.
Amen.