Advent is a season of interior preparation for the coming of our Saviour. Has our faith increased or is it in slumber? The encounter betweeen Jesus and the centurion is intended to illustrate that a Gentile is more submissive in his belief towards the command of God compared to the Pharisaic Jews. Jesus astonishingly declares that He has never seen or heard of faith like that of the centurion in all of Israel. It is an amazing faith on the part of a foreigner. Because of his faith, his request for his servant to be healed is granted.

Therefore, many, like the centurion, from the east and the west, will be included in the feast of the kingdom of heaven. Faith draws all of us to God. Like the vision of Isaiah, many nations will stream towards the mountain of the Lord. These will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles, a depiction of conversion that there will be no more training for war. What a wonderful thing - faith will also move us to peace, because there will be no more discrimination between foreigners and us.

Do I rejoice with the psalmist when I hear people say: “Let us go to God's house?” All of us, regardless of our respective and different backgrounds, can go to God's house in peace and harmony. Do I desire for that day when people will treat each other as brothers and sisters living in peace?