To everything, turn, turn, turn.
There is a season, turn, turn, turn.
And a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to gain, a time to lose.
A time to rend, a time to sew.
A time for love, a time for hate.
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late.

Pete Seeger  -last verse of Turn Turn Turn

Okay well Pete Seeger was quoting King Solomon but most of us hadn’t read those verses from Ecclesiastes chapter three that inspired the song. At the time the song became a number one hit in 1965, the unspoken reference was to the Vietnam war. However, as King Solomon also pointed out:

What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9

As Christmas approaches we also are faced with the continued threats of terrorism and war. Whether people are, dining out, going to the movies or even attending their weekly prayer meetings it seems that there is no place exempt from violence. But in these moments when everything seems to be closing in, we have to remind ourselves that Jesus never promised peace on earth, for now. In fact He guaranteed us that:

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Because Jesus went to the cross, true peace is always possible – Thank God it is never too late! But peace is not the absence of war, though we would wish it so. Peace is the presence of the dove of peace ruling in our hearts no matter what comes.