Advent Prep - Week One - Day Three – The Pilgrim’s Peace

Day Three – The Pilgrim’s Peace

New Testament: Romans 13:11–14
Old Testament: Psalm 122:3–9

Every Advent traveler carries a quiet tension — a holy restlessness.

We walk through a world marked by trouble, longing for a peace we can almost taste but not yet fully see. Advent reminds us that faith is a journey between what is and what will be.

We keep moving forward not because the road is smooth, but because God has promised a destination: a peace enduring enough to hold us, courageous enough to transform us, and near enough to keep us walking.

Historical Context
Psalm 122 is a pilgrim hymn. Generations sang it while climbing Jerusalem’s hill for worship, their feet echoing on stone streets that symbolized unity: “Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.”

Under the empire, that peace was mostly memory, yet Israel kept singing — believing God’s peace would return. We see many cultures that are marginalized doing the same.  Think of the African songs that resonated on American plantations.

Paul later writes, “Now is the time to wake from sleep,” merging that same pilgrimage imagery with moral awakening.

To walk in Christ’s light was to join the long line of those ascending, step by step, toward God’s future.

Modern Context 
We often confuse peace with comfort — the absence of noise, conflict, or inconvenience.
Ok - after a long weekend with grandkids - you hit the trifecta and get all three!

Biblical peace (shalom) is presence: right relationship with God and neighbor. Silencing the world so you can hear His presence. 

Advent peace calls us to participation. We pray for peace, then we build it. We serve, reconcile, and forgive in advance of agreement. This is not a season of idleness but service in anticipation!

Peace becomes practical: listening before arguing, mentoring instead of criticizing, supporting justice rather than shouting opinion. Each small act invites God’s future into the present.

Reflection

• Where could you exchange reaction for reconciliation this week?
• How might you walk toward peace rather than wait for it to appear?

Prayer
Prince of Peace,
let my prayers move my feet.
Where division lingers, let Your peace begin with me.
Shape my patience and courage into Your roadwork for the Kingdom.
Amen.

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