Go in Peace: Hope for AdventNäide

Welcome to Go in Peace, a reading plan to accompany Advent. In this plan we’re going to look at several times in scripture when someone is told to “Go in peace” and draw some hope that we can apply to this time in Advent, the darkest time of the year.

The first time we read “Go in peace” happens in the book of Exodus during the story of Moses. In this part of his story, Moses is essentially a wanted man, a fugitive from Egypt living in the land of Midian, married with a family, and has just been called by God to go back to Egypt to bring a message of deliverance to the enslaved Israelites.

Moses even argues with God about this calling! He doesn’t feel up to the task and pleads with God to send someone else. It’s only after God also calls Moses’ brother Aaron to go along that Moses reluctantly accepts.

So, this is what is in Moses’ head as he goes to his father-in-law, Jethro. Moses has been running away from his Egyptian past for years and now he’s colliding head-on with it. Can you imagine how much turmoil he’s feeling? What will happen when he goes back?!

But Jethro soothes it all when he tells Moses, “Go in peace.” That’s the final word God has for Moses as he embarks on his mission to bring a message of deliverance to God’s people.

It’s going to be okay. You’re going in peace.

This is the same message of deliverance Jesus will bring, the same hope that his birth on Christmas Day will point to. We can go in peace because we know Jesus is coming in peace. No matter how damaging our past feels, he’s coming to deliver us. Soon. We just have to wait. And we can do that in peace.