Skip to main content

There Is No Peace on Earth, I Said

             Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:13-14)

 

            The last week of Advent focuses on the peace promised by the angels. I don’t watch TV, but I’m enough aware of what’s going on in the world to know that there’s not much peace anywhere. We don’t even need to take it up to the level of international discord, or even internal political strife. The self-help industry is valued at $13.2 billion dollars per year. Consider the divorce rate, and the fact that people can’t even get along well enough to bother to get married in the first place. Then there are the alcohol and drug use rates, the number of murders, assaults, rapes, arsons, and other violent crimes; and the whole transgender movement (which is built on the notion that people are not at peace with their bodies. As the song says, “And in despair, I bowed my head. There is no peace on Earth, I said.” (Henry Longfellow.)

            Peace isn’t easy. I’ve said that peace is submitting to the river, flowing with its current, and that’s not difficult if the river is going where you want it to, when and how you want it to do so. But what happens when there are rapids? Or a waterfall? What do you do when the river seems to disappear into the sand? How do you live in peace with the river then? And what do you do if a pirate ship, or boats full of violent savages show up? What do you do when what’s around you isn’t peaceful?

            I suppose Peter’s experience walking on water is the best answer. We need to keep our focus on Jesus, and when we fail to do that, we need to cry to Him for  help. Jesus suggested that the solution was to build our houses upon the Rock, and when the storms come, they will stand.

            What comes to mind is the idea that the circumstances around us that threaten our peace are circumstances around us. Too often, we pick them up, hug them close and even make them part of our lives, then wonder how it is life got so out of control. Another way things spiral into chaos is not because of the things we pick up, hug and make part of our lives. It’s because of things that the things we pick up are connected to.

            To preserve peace in difficult circumstances, we may have to be ruthless in removing anything that gets in the way of that peace – and anything that comes between us and the one with whom we want to be at peace. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more