All is Calm

Sojourners Magazine

If increased activity is the only melody we pick up from the nativity story told in Matthew and Luke, we neglect a needful counterpoint: the importance of rest. The nativity story is replete with theological, familial, and political lessons about rest that quietly proclaim God’s goodness to this weary world. With exhaustion rampant in the church — perhaps especially so at Christmastime — we would do well to hear notes of rest sounding from the manger.

Cover and feature illustration for the December issue of Sojourners Magazine, based on the article “All is Calm: Scripture’s Radical Call to Rest During Advent” by Julian Davis Reid. Acrylic paint on illustration board with digital coloring.