Disturbing the peace

"Do not disturb."  Hotels give you this convenient little door hanger to alert the staff that you want no interruptions.  Wouldn't it be nice if we had just such a discreet way of signaling the world - or our family - or the person sitting at the next desk - that we would prefer to be left alone?

Please don't interrupt the flow of my work.  Please don't waste my time with pictures of your grandchild.  Please don't bring around holiday goodies that I can ill afford to eat.  Please don't come with your fresh cup of coffee to talk football, politics, shopping horror stories or to complain about your boss, wife, mother-in-law, neighbor.  Please don't.....just go away.

We want a little peace.

Or do we?  Is it possible that what we want is for folks to stop questioning our lifestyle, habits, intentions or actions?  Could it be that we are happy, happy, happy with our life and really don't want to know about anyone else's?  Might it be that we are not seeking some level of calm, but rather insulating ourselves from everything that makes us uncomfortable?

Real peace can only be built on truth and justice and so requires a great deal of disturbing - disturbing complacency and smug contentment, disturbing greed and hoarding, disturbing power structures and systems.  The prophets knew this; Jesus died to change this.  Peace is not a lack of conflict; rather it is conflict reconciled.

This Advent take up the work of disturbing the peace for the sake of your neighbor.  It's your calling.  It's the only path to true peace.