Let there be peace on Earth And let it begin with me Let there be peace on Earth The peace that was meant to be
With God as our Father There we all are we Let us walk with each other In perfect harmony
I remember in the early 1970s, as a child, taking part in our church Nativity service. What struck me this particular year, and stayed with me, was the song we closed with, “Let there be peace on earth”. A new song to me and as a child it left me wondering, “why isn’t there peace on Earth?”
The song was penned by Jill Jackson-Miller in 1955, initially for an international children’s choir. It became a popular choral anthem and then crossed over to Christmas music where it transformed into a cherished carol.
Jill’s early life had been beset with problems, her husband had deserted her and she could hardly scrape up enough money to feed her little girl. She had no career options and was living in a place where no one knew her. She was an orphaned and abused child and saw no hope. It got so bad that she attempted suicide. Thankfully she failed at that too.
After years of searching for something she read Christ’s story and immediately felt a sense of peace wash over her that she had never known before. In Jesus she finally discovered someone who would not reject her. With faith in her heart Jill’s life finally began to change. She found success as a woman, a mother, a writer and then she met a man who she fell in love with and married.
Jill Jackson Miller could not have imagined any kind of peace until she found Christ. A peace that flooded her soul and gave her a new direction in life
This Christmas stop awhile and ask for God’s wonderful peace in your life. In this troubled world we may not be able to create world peace, but with God’s peace in our hearts we can make changes to our own lives and to the people around us that we meet in our everyday lives.
In the lyrics of the carol are the lines; “Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now.”