God, if you are there, give me a sign. Read Isaiah 7:14. When the angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the good news that brings great joy, they told them about the sign. “You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” These famous words repeated by Linus in Charlie Brown Christmas, first appeared 700 years before Jesus was born. Isaiah the prophet told King Ahaz of Judah that the sign of God’s presence was that a virgin would give birth to a child, and his name would be called Immanuel, which means, “God is with us.” For those of you who are looking for a sign that God is real, you need to know that God already gave you a sign. Every year, God reminds us that the baby born in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago is the sign that God is real. This week, we are focusing on God’s peace. If peace is eluding you today because of doubt, fear, or circumstances, and you need a sign, then take heart in the sign that God has already given you. May every star and every nativity remind you of God’s presence, God’s promise, and God’s peace.

Holy God of peace, grant peace to those who see your sign and believe in you. Increase the peace in our hearts and in our community. Amen.