Peace

Just as love is knowing, peace is revealing.

This God-inspired meditation came to me recently when I was complaining to Him. At some point I told Him that all I wanted was peace. That was only part way true. What I was really saying was that I wanted complacency. I just had not put it in those words. God flipped the tables and put it in just those terms, though. Peace is one of those theological terms that somehow proves hazy and distant to me most of the time. I hear about it, I can sense it, but I cannot quite understand it. However, I am pretty sure that I am not the only one out there who doesn't grasp everything. Most of the time, whenever I read New Testament portions where the disciples seem to keep questioning Jesus on the same subject, no matter what spin He puts on the point He's getting across, I COMPLETELY relate to them. Really, Jesus probably has to say something to me about 20+ different ways before I get it. I probably sound like a broken record to Him..."What do You mean?" "Why don't You make sense?"...you get the picture.

I am coming to more of a concrete realization, though, of what peace is not. I think that's a step in the right direction. Peace is not complacency. Just as love is not "blind", as poets like to pretend. The Bible is awesome in talking about love as "knowing". Love does not (should not) cause one to hide away faults. Love is knowing and healing faults...Jesus does not love us in spite of our humanity, but because of it. Similarly, peace does not turn a blind eye to violence, war, wrong-doings. It reveals the brokenness, meets it right where it is, and heals exactly there. We as Christians, as peace-makers to the world, are never called to pretend that the world is anything but hurting. Peace brings Christ right to the ache.

Today, allow the peace of Christ to enter your life in a radical way. Lay it all before Him and see what He has in store.