September 2, 1945 General Douglas MacArthur received the unconditional surrender of Imperial Japan on deck of the battleship Missouri. That surrender signaled a longed-for end to the single most destructive and devastating war; historical - global in proportion, years of bloody struggle between the mightiest nations on earth. The announcement of peace rang around the world - VJ DAY! But for one lone Japanese soldier hiding on a remote island in the South Pacific there was no news of peace. Isolated and cutoff from the outside world he continued in fear of attack and death, having no access to the news that the war was over. And for that lone soldier 29 years would go by before he would hear the news of peace and that those he thought to be his enemies were friends.

Seventy years later, while only a few celebrate VJ Day, millions celebrate December 25 as the greatest peace' day of all. This peace was announced in the fields of Bethlehem years before it was signed, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord. The Savior of the world, the son of Mary would one day sign with His own blood the peace treaty between God and man; peace of which the angels sang that night, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth . . . peace among those with whom He is pleased. The news of God's great peace is told year after year around the world, She will give birth to a son and you will give him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sins and for more than 2000 years millions celebrate God's peace. But not all celebrate. They haven't heard or they just can't believe. And unless this changes they remain in the dark with no hope and no peace.

The thought of this reminds me of a game I played as a child, the game Hide and Seek. At the end of the game for any players who were still hiding (undiscovered) we would say something along the line of, Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are. December is here once again and God wants you and me to help Him bring light to those who are still out there in the dark of unbelief. They need to hear once again the news of peace. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Above all things this is the opportunity Christmas brings, opportunity for each of us to share the true meaning of Christmas; that peace with God has broken into the world in Christ! December is here! There's no better time to announce God's peace. God has reconciled the world to Himself by Jesus. Advent and Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year is the season of giving. No better time for us to share the reason for our hope!

Pastor Kelly Mitteis