‘Peace is not just the absence of conflict; peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference’.” -Nelson Mandela
Randy’s Introduction:
Voices raise. Doors slam closed. Then silence. But the battle isn’t over. The air remains weighty with psychic anger.
Every home, church, business and relationship has experienced this. It is so common that we should be used to it. Yet everyone longs for the return of peace.
The longing for peace, for shalom1, for paix2 and paz3, for Friede4, pace5, 平穏 (heiwa)6, 평화 (pyonghwa)7, мир (mir)8, سَلَامٌ (salam)9, 和平 (hé píng)10, amani,11 asomdwe12, and alaa,13 transcends space and time in the human heart.
A thousand years before Jesus the following prayer for the good life was developed:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” -Numbers 6:24-26
The peace we long for is more than the absence of war. It is more than an individual and personal feeling. In the 17th century philosopher, Baruch Spinoza wrote: "Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice". In the 20th century Albert Einstein said, "Peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, of law, of order —in short, of government". Thich Nhat Hanh, aVietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist, added, "We often think of peace as the absence of war, but if we look deeply into the weapons, we see our own minds- our own prejudices, fears and ignorance".
Everyone agrees that peace, that is, wholeness, well-being, and completion is a worthy goal. Everyone seeks shalom. Yet we have such difficulty finding it. Even if we find it we can’t seem to make it last.
How do we find peace on our journey with Jesus?
Definitions:
PEACE. n.s.
/pēs/
Merriam-Webster, Contemporary.
1: a state of tranquility or quiet: such as (a) freedom from civil disturbance (b) a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom.
2: freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions
3: harmony in personal relations
4: a state or period of mutual concord between governments
Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary, 1773
1. Respite from war. Preserve us in peace; so preserve us in peace, that war may be always more odious to us than necessity. Holyday. 14
2. Quiet from suits or disturbances. The king gave judgment against Warren, and commanded that Sherborn should hold his land in peace. Davies.15
3. Rest from any commotion.
4. Stillness from riots or tumults. Shallow, you have yourself been a great fighter, though now a man of peace. Shakespeare. Merry Wives of Windsor.
5. Reconciliation of differences. Let him make peace with me. Isaiah 28:5.
6. A state not hostile. If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, let the enemy persecute my soul. Psalm 7:4.
7. Rest; quiet; content; freedom from terrour; heavenly rest. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope. Romans 15:13.
8. Silence; suppression of the thoughts
9. [In law.] That general security and quiet which the king warrants to his subjects, and of which he therefore avenges the violation; every forcible injury is a breach of the king’s peace.
Etymology
mid-12c., pes, "freedom from civil disorder, internal peace of a nation," from Anglo-French pes, Old French pais "peace, reconciliation, silence, permission"
It replaced Old English frið, also sibb, which also meant "happiness."
It is attested from mid-13c. as "friendly relations between people." The sense of "spiritual peace of the heart, soul or conscience, freedom from disturbance by the passions" (as in peace of mind) is from c. 1200. The sense of "state of quiet or tranquility" is by 1300, as is the meaning "absence or cessation of war or hostility." Specifically as "treaty or agreement made between conflicting parties to refrain from further hostilities," c. 1400.
How It Makes Good Happen
Longing for peace, seeking peace, even teaching others to seek peace is not enough to satisfy the longing in our hearts. Peace empowers us to make good happen, but only after we have found it. Humans have looked so many places for peace. The Bible has compiled a list of our attempts to find peace in places where it cannot be found:
Money: We believe that gathering enough material possessions will bring peace to ourselves and to others. Jesus says it is more complicated than that:
“A certain rich man’s land produced a bountiful crop. He said to himself, What will I do? I have no place to store my harvest! Then he thought, Here’s what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. That’s where I’ll store all my grain and goods. I’ll say to myself, You have stored up plenty of goods, enough for several years. Take it easy! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself. But God said to him, ‘Fool, tonight you will die. Now who will get the things you have prepared for yourself?’ This is the way it will be for those who hoard things for themselves and aren’t rich toward God.” - A story of Jesus: Luke 12:16b-21
Power: Then let’s get rid of the rich and the powerful and create a peaceful world. Some stories align with the idea that corrupt leaders are part of the problem.
“Herod dressed himself in royal attire, seated himself on the throne, and gave a speech to the people. Those assembled kept shouting, over and over, “This is a god’s voice, not the voice of a mere human!” Immediately an angel from the Lord struck Herod down, because he didn’t give the honor to God. He was eaten by worms and died.” -Acts 12: 21b-23
Power (con’t): But Scripture also makes the point that corruption is a problem, not just for the rich and the powerful, but for all of us. Paul compiled a series of biblical statements in this direction when he wrote:
‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.’16 ‘Their throats are open graves; their tongues practise deceit.’17 ‘The poison of vipers is on their lips.’18 ‘Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.’19 ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.’20‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’21
Wisdom: Even knowledge and understanding is a dead end.
“Solomon’s wisdom was greater than all the famous Easterners, greater even than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone, more wise than Ethan the Ezrahite or Mahol’s sons: Heman, Calcol, and Darda. His reputation was known throughout the region. 32 Solomon spoke three thousand proverbs and one thousand five songs. 33 He described the botany of trees, whether the cedar in Lebanon or the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He also described cattle, birds, anything that crawls on the ground, and fish. 34 People came from everywhere to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; even the earth’s kings who had heard about his wisdom came! “ I Kings 4:30-34
The words of the Teacher of the Assembly, David’s son, king in Jerusalem: “Perfectly pointless, says the Teacher, perfectly pointless. Everything is pointless.” -Ecclesiastes 1:1-2
What if we focus on simpler things?
Good Looks: We see this as a great asset. The Bible tells a precautionary tale of one of David’s sons that says otherwise.
“No man throughout Israel was as praised for his good looks as Absalom. From the soles of his feet to the crown of his head there was nothing wrong with him.” -2 Samuel 14:25
“Absalom was riding on a mule, and the mule went under the tangled branches of a large oak tree. Absalom’s head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair while the mule under him kept on going. One of the men saw this and reported to Joab, “I just saw Absalom hanging from an oak tree…Joab…took three sticks in his hand and drove them into Absalom’s chest while he was still alive in the oak. Then ten young armor-bearers of Joab surrounded Absalom, struck him, and killed him.” -2 Samuel 18:9b-10, 14-15
Fame: Celebrity status, we are led to believe, is a path to security in this world. The prophet Ezekiel using a metaphor for the people of Israel in his day, argues otherwise.
“Among the nations you were famous for your beauty. It was perfect because of the splendor that I had given you. This is what the Lord God says. But you trusted in your beauty and traded on your fame. At every opportunity, you seduced all who came by…Have you not added bad reputation to all your detestable acts?” -Ezekiel 14-15, 43c
There is no lasting escape through Sex and Food either.
When from the window of my house, from behind the screen, I gazed down, I looked among the naive young men and noticed among the youth, one who had no sense. He was crossing the street at her corner and walked down the path to her house in the early evening, at the onset of night and darkness. All of a sudden a woman approaches him, dressed like a prostitute and with a cunning mind. She is noisy and defiant; her feet don’t stay long in her own house. She has one foot in the street, one foot in the public square. She lies in wait at every corner. She grabs him and kisses him. Her face is brazen as she speaks to him: “I’ve made a sacrifice of well-being; today I fulfilled my solemn promises. So I’ve come out to meet you, seeking you, and I have found you. I’ve spread my bed with luxurious covers, with colored linens from Egypt. I’ve sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink deep of love until morning; let’s savor our lovemaking. For my husband isn’t home; he’s gone far away. He took a pouch of money with him;he won’t come home till full moon.” She seduces him with all her talk. She entices him with her flattery. He goes headlong after her, like an ox to the slaughter, like a deer leaping into a trap, until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird hurrying to the snare, not aware that it will cost him his life. -Proverbs 7:6-23
“Place a knife at your throat to control your appetite.” -Proverbs 23:2
Is it an impossible task? Should we give up looking for lasting peace? Definitely not. Jesus, reflecting Deuteronomy 4:29,22 urges us to continue.
“Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” -Matthew 7:7
But where do we look?
The Psalmist gives us a hint:
I raise my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. God won’t let your foot slip. Your protector won’t fall asleep on the job. No! Israel’s protector never sleeps or rests! The Lord is your protector; the Lord is your shade right beside you. The sun won’t strike you during the day; neither will the moon at night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; God will protect your very life. The Lord will protect you on your journeys—whether going or coming—from now until forever from now. -Psalm 121
Jesus promises that seeking peace in him is the way to find it. Before his death, resurrection and assention Jesus said:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” -Jesus. John 14:1
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Holyday, Barten, 1593-1661 Cleric; poet; translator of Horace, Juvenal, Persius.
Thomas Davies, a bookseller and dramatist who was a close friend of Johnson.
Psalm 24:2-3; 53:1-13; Ecclesiastes 7:20.
Psalm 5:9
Psalm 140:3
Psalm 10:7 (Septuagint)
Isaiah 59: 7,8.
Psalm 36:1.
“You will seek the Lord your God from there, and you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your being.“