There are days—especially in our current political climate—when I can feel my inner peace slipping right out the window. Maybe you’ve felt it too. All it takes is turning on the news or scrolling social media for a few minutes, and suddenly my breath shortens, my shoulders tense, and I’m no longer grounded in the Truth I know. Instead of feeling centered, I’m drawn into the swirl of opinions, outrage, and anxiety that seems to dominate our collective airwaves. Advent calls us to something different. It calls us to peace—not as a fragile, fleeting emotion, but as a spiritual home we can always return to.
Peace, in Unity, isn’t the absence of conflict; it’s the presence of Truth. It’s remembering that beneath the noise, beneath the headlines, beneath even our own fear or frustration, there is a deeper reality waiting for us. A stillness that never wavers. A Divine Presence that remains whole and unshaken regardless of what’s happening in the world around us.
When I find myself pulled off center, I pause and breathe into that deeper peace. I remember that peace is not passive—it’s a practice. A commitment. A choice we make over and over again. And it begins with recognizing that we have the power to direct our attention. As James Allen wrote, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.” Where we place our attention, we plant our consciousness.
This season invites us to choose peace not only for ourselves, but as an offering to the world. Every time we breathe instead of react, listen instead of judge, bless instead of criticize, we become instruments of peace. This doesn’t mean ignoring the pain or confusion in our world—it means responding to it from a place of spiritual clarity. St. Francis reminded us of this timeless truth: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” Not someone who waits for peace to arrive, but someone who embodies it.
Advent Peace is an invitation to return to that sacred center within us. To remember that peace is our natural state, our spiritual inheritance, and our calling. When we anchor ourselves in that Truth, we become a healing presence—not only for ourselves, but for everyone we encounter.
This Sunday, I invite you to join us at Unity San Francisco, in person or online, as we continue our Advent journey. Together, we’ll explore how to cultivate a peace that lasts—not just for a moment, but for a lifetime. A peace strong enough to weather the noise, the news, and the world as it is, while helping us build the world as it could be.