Ambassadors for Peace
By: St James Parish
Tags: Advent, Church, Ethics, Ron Abrams, Christmas

One of the great ironies of western civilization occurred in 1896 when Alfred Nobel died and left his fortune to establish a peace prize. According to Nobel’s will the prize shall be awarded to a person who in the preceding year “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace.” This prestigious prize has been awarded over the years to everyone from religious leaders like Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Desmond Tutu and the Dali Lama, to politicians like Nelson Mandela and Anwar Sadat, to humanitarians like Jane Austin and Albert Schweitzer. Four American Presidents have also been awarded this prize (Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama).

The irony of the Nobel Peace Prize is that the fortune used to establish this prize resulted from Nobel’s his most famous inventions dynamite and ballistite. Ballistite is a smokeless propellant made from two high explosives, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine. Alfred Nobel witnessed first-hand how evil his inventions were and he wanted to redeem himself by trying to promote peace to the world.

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Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai — 2014 Nobel Laureates[/caption]

On Wednesday, December 10th, the latest Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan. This seventeen year old girl is the youngest recipient of this great honor. Her work in fighting child suppression and promoting young people’s rights in her own country as well as her region of the world is a witness to each and every human being that we do not have to be a president or a spiritual leader or a great humanitarian to assist in bringing hope and peace to our broken world. It is ironic that in the patriarchal world of Pakistan, where your gender and age count for everything, that a young girl has a message that is transforming her society. So too, as Christians we give thanks and celebrate another young girl, who, centuries earlier became the bearer of light and peace in a similar culture.

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The Virgin Mary — “the Annunciation” by Henry Ossawa Tanner[/caption]

Advent is indeed the season of ironies. In these the darkest physical days of the year we proclaim light. It the midst of the chaos, confusion and tension of the pre-Christmas season, the Church proclaims peace and joy. In a world where power means everything to so many, we await a powerless baby who is the most powerful person the world has ever known.

During this Advent season, maybe it is time for all of us to stop and reflect on the ironies of our lives. We say we are good stewards, but where does our money really go? We say we want to be faithful to Christ, yet where are we on Sunday mornings? As Christians, we proclaim inclusion, but if we are really honest with ourselves, we put up walls and create stereotypes more times than we would like?

I believe the Church has it right! It is important to be purposeful in discerning how and where God is calling us in our broken world. Maybe, just maybe, if we spend time this Advent and Christmas season in serious contemplation, prayer, and study regarding the ironies of our lives, we may like Alfred Nobel and Malala Yousafzai, experience and put into action “The true light, which enlightens everyone!” (John 1: 9) In doing so, we will be ambassadors for peace in the dark corners of our lives and our world.

The Rev. Ron Abrams serves as Rector of St. James. He and his wife are native Long Islanders, have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two dogs. Before answering the call to St. James, Ron was Rector of Holy Trinity in Fayetteville, NC; Rector of St. Ann’s in Bridgehampton, NY; and Assistant at St. Mark’s, Westhampton Beach, NY. Ron is also an avid Yankees fan and historian.