All Really Is Well

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Although it isn’t one of the first carols of Christmas that come to mind, the song All Is Well is still a wonderful reminder of the message of this season. I heard this song recently and was touched again by its hopeful lyrics especially the second stanza.

All is well all is well
Let there be peace on earth
Christ is come go and tell
That He is in the manger
Sing Ale
Sing Alleluia

The words lift your spirit and encourage you to believe in the goodness of Christ’s coming. Yet when we look around us, it doesn’t seem that all is well or that there is much peace on the earth. We’re in the middle of world wide pandemic that has already killed over 300,000 citizens in our own country. Much of what we enjoy and hold dear has been interrupted or in some cases brought to a complete end.

If that weren’t enough, we are living in the midst of a contentious political environment. Who would have ever thought that presidential electors would have to fear for their lives due to threats made by those who didn’t like the outcome of the election? Amazing.

Then there’s the ongoing struggle for racial equality, the plight of the poor, the concerns over the environment and more. Indeed it seems that “all is well” is little more than a nice sentiment that isn’t grounded in reality. Thus the peace that is promised would be a phantom peace that is anything but peace producing.

It’s with these thoughts that we read Paul’s words to the Philippians about a peace that passes understanding. The reason it’s so hard to understand is that this peace isn’t rooted where we expect it to be – in our circumstances. Typically, if our circumstances are good, then we can say that we have peace and that all is well. However, let there be a disruption in our circumstances, and peace goes out the window. In our minds there’s no way for all to be well when our circumstances aren’t well.

But Paul had something different in mind. He had learned that circumstances ebb and flow. But what we have in God is eternal, and no change in circumstance can alter the hope or the assurances we have in Him. That’s especially important as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

In the Christ child, God invaded the earth with His presence in a personal and powerful way. The Prince of Peace, as Isaiah prophesied, would usher in a new reign in the human heart – in a Kingdom not built with hands, eternal in the heavens. Those who enter into that Kingdom are still subject to the all the ups and downs of the world that is passing away. But they are at peace. Why? Because they are a part of an eternal Kingdom that cannot be taken away.

So all really is well. As a result, may there be more and more of His peace on earth.