Where on earth is peace?

So, here we are on the cusp of another Christmas. We sing the ancient carols calling for “peace on earth, goodwill to men,” and yet we look around and most of the time don’t see anything resembling peace.

Every generation has its wars, its conflicts, it’s contentious issues. Today is no different. A few days ago the U.S. House impeached a president for the third time in America’s history. Political bickering has turned from white noise into full-on hatred between Democrats and Republicans. We are a divided nation that has drawn political lines in the sand not only in Washington, D.C., but also in families and among friends and neighbors.

Roughly 200,000 U.S. troops are deployed overseas in various war zones. Six days ago National Public Radio broadcast a story noting “2019 has seen more mass shooting this year than days on the calendar.” Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that tracks mass shootings in the U.S., reports a total of 35,943 gun deaths (that number includes homicides, suicides and accidents along with mass shootings) and 27,061 injuries as of Dec. 1.

Where is peace? We long for it, but never seem able to wrap our arms around it. And yet, we know it’s possible.

Many of us find peace in our faith. We know about “the peace of God that passes all understanding.”

Christmas makes us more mindful of what’s possible when people set aside their differences and come together with peace and goodwill. We’re reminded of rare events such as the Christmas Truce of 1914, when an unofficial ceasefire broke out among warring soldiers on the Western Front during World War I. German and British troops sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines and gathered in “no-man’s land” to celebrate, according to the History website.

“Even a world war could not destroy the Christmas spirit,” History notes.

Our wish for everyone this Christmas and beyond is to find opportunities for peace, no matter how small. Extend the proverbial olive branch, put past grievances behind and start anew. World peace is something that may never be accomplished, but individually we all have so much potential to find peace in our lives. As another favorite holiday tune implores: “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”