This past Sunday we lit the Peace candle in our church, and one of our youth gave a reflection. Ever since then, I have been pondering a point that this young man made.
Christian peace is a paradox.
The peace we received when we chose to be followers of God and accept the work of Jesus on the cross is, in its nature, rooted in paradox. The God of all the Universe entered into humanity, as a baby no less. Jesus died a horrific death on the cross, and that death provided the path for us to recieve eternal life. From one of the greatest sorrows a small group of people have ever endured, came the greatest joy, available to all who ever have, and ever would live on the Earth. Our peace was bought with violence. What's more? It flies in the face of all we see and experience in this world everyday.
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Phillipians 4:4-7 ESV
The peace of God is beyond human understanding and is available to us through Christ. In spite of all that we see on the news everyday, and all the terrible things we experience, we can have peace. And it is not just some nice sentiment, or a staunch denial of reality. This is no Pollyanna optimism. It is calmly walking into the storm before us, knowing we are held securely by the same God who commanded the waves to still. It is facing the firey furnace like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, with the utter certainty that no matter what comes our way, God is in control. He is bigger than any obstacle, mightier than any enemy, and more loving than we can comprehend. Our God is at hand and we need not be anxious in anything. On the surface, a Christian's ability to focus on all that is good and beautiful and praiseworthy, in a world that is overflowing with tragedy and destruction and sin seems ridiculous. It isn't until you dig into Scripture and the testimony of faithful followers who have witnessed His work in their lives that His peace begins to make sense. It isn't that we don't experience heartache or worry, because we do. We just know that we do not need to be defined by it, because we are already defined by Someone much greater. We know we can turn our faces to The One who loves us best and receive the peace His presence brings, whether we understand itor not.
We choose the paradox of Peace.
(Photo credit: Sherla Mac Neill)
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