Official Christmas and New Year's Message 2005 By The Most Reverend Archbishop Gary Beaver of the Independent Old Catholic Church

"…in Him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it." John 1:4-5

Another 365 days along the treadmill of life, and we pause for breath, fatigued by images of poverty, in war torn places such as Darfur, our hearts break for the desolate, the hungry and the diseased, and we mourn too for the blood that fills Iraqi streets, the blood of men, women and children, anonymous families obliterated. Men can build, and men can destroy.

The parodies are all too apparent. Some men and women choose with irenic spirit to forsake or forgo obvious material pursuits, and make conscious decisions to visit war torn countries, places of famine or disease and offer their hearts and abilities to build better lives for the poor, rebuilding the damage caused by those who neglect the human dignity of the impoverished, and their own spiritual values. Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called sons of God.

This is not an option; it is a clear direction of the requisite to be welcomed into the House of God at the final judgement. "Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it".

We know that the heavenly Father is a God of peace, and that heaven is a world of Peace, so the children of God, all of us, no matter what denomination we call our own, must be peacemakers. Peace makers are blessed with the title ‘Sons of God' because they manifest in their ministry a Godlike work. Living their lives a character quality and an aspect of activity which is true of God himself.

What does it mean to be a peacemaker? How can we be peacemakers in the smallest, yet gigantic of ways? Peacemaking is any and all the acts of love that minimises and defeats hostility between people. It is not harbouring grudges, but being honest, and being truthful. It is not gossiping, slandering or even listening to gossip. Uttering evil causes evil, and every evil uttered will be bound around the neck till the day of reckoning.

You will encounter some people who will not see, and refuse to hear, they have enveloped themselves in their own self importance and under the guise of piety, slaughter the good works of others. St Paul stated "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart'. It is not of God to sow discord and stir up trouble (Proverbs 6:19 ).

Think of the trouble caused by disagreeable people in a group, the problems and friction a quarrelsome person causes at home, and the bloodshed and wickedness a warmonger causes amongst nations.

C.S. Lewis's remarks about forgiveness seem apt here, He said, "We all agree that forgiveness is a beautiful idea until we have to forgive.' It's the same for peacemaking, isn't it? We all agree that peacemaking is a beautiful idea but who is the first to apologise after a quarrel?

The Beatitude refers to peacemaker not to the "peace lover." Passivity is not the same. "Peacemaking" is an action word, implying that people should be active in the quest to secure peace, and to carry the message of peace. The greatest need is to carry to people the message of "peace with God"

Over 2000 years ago, the King of Kings commanded us specifically to be peacemakers, and 2000 years later, why do we still have the need to remind each other and compel each other to follow His request. Why is peace so difficult to establish?

The Gospels blame external discord on internal conflict. The root of strife is man's evil desires. Nothing causes more corruption than that which comes from within man. So we are at war with others because we are not at peace with ourselves. We are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God, and the more we war, the greater the damage we inflict on our own souls, and the wider the gulf grows between God and us.

Let us pray;
Lord, You have given us such opportunities to serve You in this world. We thank You, for Sending Jesus to tell us of your bounties, to give us Your promise of eternal paradise, and how we may obtain it.

Allmighty God, fill mankind with Your Holy Spirit, bless him with wisdom, so that he may repair the dents in his own spirit. Help us find inner peace, sooth our souls dear God, wipe us clean, fill us and nourish us with goodness, like vessals, complete, clean and pure.

Dear God, help us to heal each other, help us to hold all your creation dear. We thank You Lord, and we pray all these things in your name. Amen

The Most Reverend Gary Beaver
Archbishop - Primatial See
Interdenominational Church of the Holy Lands
An Independent Catholic Fellowship
www.interdenominational.net