Peace.
We long for it and yet many of us do not ever take the time to define it
thoroughly. We wish each other peace in every liturgy. In fact, the presider greets
the congregation with the peace and grace that comes from our Lord Jesus
Christ. Do we ever ponder what we are saying and doing? For some, peace is a
negation - an absence of tension, anxiety, fear and conflict. Perhaps, it is
the absence of war and violence. Some consider a type of interior quietude and
harmony. The peace some civic leaders desire is a cessation of their opponents'
attacks, but that it because they want to impose their thoughts and plans. They/We
think, if everyone thinks like me and chooses what I want, peace will reign.
Beauty queens want world peace. The prophet Isaiah is at least concrete. He
lays a plan for God's peaceable kingdom, but while it sounds nice it doesn't
seem wholly realistic. Jesus offers us a peace unlike the peace the world
gives. Did your retreat involve a petition for peace? I hope so because Jesus constantly
offers it to you.
In the Acts of the Apostles, Paul
encounters adversarial Antiochene Jews. They beat him so badly they think he is
dead. Paul suffers tremendously in his ministry - more than most people realize
- and he gets up and goes onward and upwards. He is not stopped in his
preaching - despite the risks - and he puts the other first - to strengthen the
spirits of both new and long-standing disciples. His is a ministry of preaching
and consolation. He realizes "It is necessary for us to undergo many
hardships to enter the Kingdom of God." After being left for dead, Paul
builds up the church in Derbe, Pisidia, Pamphylia, Attalia, and Antioch (in this
passage alone). It is amazing he never stops.
If we trace Paul's footsteps and
examine his calamities, he can become a model in dealing with adversity. Paul is
almost done in by his fellow Jews. They are his thorn in the flesh. We too can
feel done in by forces in the world - by our adversaries, our own churches, blood
relatives and closest friends. The hurt by those closest to us stings the most
and is devastating. Astonishingly, Paul finds peace in his proclamation of the
Gospel. It is a peace that propels him outward with compassion. He does not
withdraw for long, but cleverly figures out new ways to proclaim the Gospel
when forces thwart him. Even the most adverse circumstances in life do not
become obstacles to building up the kingdom. The peace of Christ emboldens him
and sets his heart further aflame.
Following the crucifixion the Apostles
live in fear until they receive the peace of Christ. Soon afterwards they
boldly proclaim Christ crucified in the public square before men with power to
sentence them to death. We are asked to receive this same peace from the same Jesus
who is alive to us today so we can live in freedom with a boldness that
transcends laws and restrictions. We know our faith is real if, upon leaving
this retreat, we have courage and energy to return to our daily life without
fear and with encouragement to live with integrity. This integrity means that
we love others in the way God loves us.
Jesus vanquished the ruler of this
world and he reigns over all creation. We are to live as if we believe it -
because it is true. Let the resurrection mean something. Learn the power of the
resurrection and live in it. Our boldness communicates that we trust in God and
believe in the risen Jesus. We rely upon the power of Jesus in remarkable ways
where fears are banished. His love can burn in our hearts and he will affirm us
when we love ourselves and love others. Our churches and this world needs this
peace more than ever. The peace Jesus gave Paul made him one of the best
theologians and the greatest missionary ever; in a world that hungers for the
consoling compassion of Christ, what are the possibilities for the peace he
offers you? This is a worthy gift to accept.
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