Peace That Passes All Understanding
Read UMH 265, "O Christ, the Healer"
As I'm writing this Lenten devotion, I'm listening to one of my many Christmas CDs and sitting amongst some of the seasonal items I set out weeks ago. I keep them in place well past the arrival of the new year to remind me that Christmas is a season of the heart, not one for just the weeks of December. Its spiritual gifts of hope, faith, love, peace, and joy should be cherished all through the year.
Most of us would agree that our world is in urgent need of the manifestation of these very qualities. World events so often threaten the peace humanity longs for and that the Prince of Peace came to usher in. Two tragic wars are currently bringing unthinkable human suffering and death, and physical destruction to the lands in which they occur. Persistent divisiveness in the realm of politics sadly reflects an unwillingness to look beyond one's own perceived needs, desires, and ambitions. Nor has the worldwide church been immune from this adversity, dividing itself again and again, a process that continues to this day. Beliefs not reflective of the eternal and changeless love of God for all Creation result in attitudes that place more value on form than on the content of the heart. Forms derive their meaning from their purpose, and purpose (content) ought to be the primary concern.
The lack of civility we so often find in everyday life (and especially in the world of politics) contributes not to a peaceful and stable society. An undercurrent of anger in both individuals and in groups of society is dishearteningly troubling. And as we've witnessed, violence in its many forms, overt or disguised, often is not far behind.
I'm picturing that well-known photograph of the Earth taken from space – a blue ball so seemingly small in the vastness of the physical universe. This image offers a wonderful perspective on just how intricately connected is life in all its forms on this planet. Yet across the globe we find "leaders" in various positions in human society whose aims are to maintain their fancied and meaningless "kingdoms,” whatever the cost to those societies. In such situations we find the grandeur of God has been replaced by the grandiosity of the ego.
We are all God's children, for there is only one Creator. Though known by different names by the Earth's varied peoples and cultures, it matters not how we name God. As I always say, God has no ego with which to be either flattered or offended. We make a profound mistake if we attribute to God distinctly human qualities. Rather, we should attribute to ourselves and each other the divine qualities with which we were endowed in our creation. From the Priestly account of creation in Genesis 1: "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.’”
We all have been entrusted with the gifts of God, to be used for a holy purpose. But gifts can be discarded and forgotten, or traded for something of material value which does not last. Esau traded his birthright for a meal (Gen. 25), and the Prodigal Son his inheritance for freedom from his father's household and protection (Luke 15). The son eventually "came to his senses" and awakened to his true relationship with his father, who forgave him and welcomed him back home with great celebration. I see this as one of Jesus' most significant parables, having universal application.
Let's return now to the aforementioned picture of the Earth taken from space. If one were an angel sent down to and hovering over the Earth, what would this ambassador from Heaven think of God's own children and their nearly constant battles all across the globe? Healing is the great need of this world – the healing of ourselves, our relationships, and the planet itself. Healing begins in the mind, an awakening to God's truth, a "coming to our senses.” The decision to heal is the decision to be healed, for giving and receiving are the same. Thankfully, there are many who see Jesus as the model for their lives, who do not perceive their best interests as apart from another's. "Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Mt. 25:40). They're also aware that God cannot be absent from any part of Creation, for they know the oneness of it. "For in Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28).
Have you felt the gentle touch of Christ in your life, reassuring you of God's eternal love and your inheritance? These gifts are not ours alone. They must be shared, and in doing so we come to know that they are always and truly ours. For unlike material gifts, spiritual gifts increase as they are shared, becoming even stronger in our minds. God's gifts include power, holiness, love, knowledge, peace, function, purpose. They are entrusted to our care, to give to those who walk this world lonely, afraid, and without hope, unaware that these gifts are for them as well.
So let us accept the "peace that passes all understanding” and share it and God's love with all we meet, remembering who they are in truth. It is no easy task, but if anything in this world is worth the effort, this certainly is!
Prayer: Father, we are forever Yours. We find no cruelty within our hearts, for there is none in You. With Your gifts we bless the world in gratitude for our creation and our eternal home in You. Amen.
Doug Dykstra
No comments:
Post a Comment