I love Christmas: the food, the music, the presents, the carols, friends and family. But ever since we became parents, Christmas hasn’t exactly been peaceful.

If, like me, your Christmas involves kids in the house, it will probably be busy, noisy, and chaotic. Last year it was about 5am when the first head appeared at our bedroom door shouting “Has Santa been?” Shortly after, there were Nerf gun battles on the stairs. It was less Silent Night and more Silent Witness.

Christmas is meant to be peaceful. But for many of us, it isn’t. Nor is it so in the wider world. Whether it’s the endless fighting on social media, community tensions, political turmoil, or wars and violence across the world, from Ukraine to the Middle East.

Peace seems in short supply. And that’s just the problem of peace out there. What about the lack of peace many of us have in here, inside us: anxiety and stress, or worries about health, family, or finances.

Peace seems so elusive. And yet we long for it. Ask many of us “What would you like for Christmas?” and once we’ve listed toys, games, gadgets, and novelty socks, then many of us—if we think a little deeper and more honestly—say things like “I’d wish for love. For hope. For peace.”