God’s Acre on the Go: A Vision of Shalom

Eliana Cañas Parra draws us into the heart of Advent peace by recounting the Christmas Truce of 1914, when enemies in World War I briefly laid down arms to sing, share meals, and recognize each other’s humanity. This fleeting moment of Shalom offers a glimpse of what God's peace can look like even in the darkest places.

Psalm 122 is a prayer for the peace of Jerusalem, but Jerusalem here is not just a city — it’s a vision of the world as God dreams it: a world of wholeness, justice, and mutual care. Eliana explores the tension between singing about peace in a deeply broken world and insists that our carols are not celebrations of current peace, but prayers for the peace to come. We are not merely waiting for peace — we are joining God’s work of restoring creation.

Whether it means forgiving someone, engaging in difficult conversations, or practicing deeper hospitality, we are called to be active participants in peacemaking — not just once, but as a lifelong calling. Lighting the candle of peace is both a proclamation and a promise: that justice will roll down, and we will be ready to say "yes" when God calls us to be instruments of peace.