No peace at all

Years ago I was taking a walk with a neighbor and her two year old.  The little one wanted a piece of gum.  "Piece, piece!" she begged.  Mom said, "I have no gum." The little one was nothing if not persistent.  "Piece, piece" she cried.  Mom answered, "I have no piece......no peace at all."

Being the Mom of a two year old often feels like that.....no peace to be found anywhere.  But then I think that being a teacher or mechanic or retail clerk or town highway worker....or a thousand other places that demand, demand, demand from us sets us up for a moment of longing for peace.

Even so, we know that the longing for peace is much larger than our day to day frustrations.  It has something to do with our dog eat dog world and with greed and hunger for power.  It has something to do with our fear of strangers and struggle to protect ourselves and our own.  It has something to do with those who have and those who have not rubbing up against each other.  Somewhere under our normal activity is a tension and pressure that keeps us from relaxing into a state of peace.

Jesus came so we might know peace but he wasn't naive about the work it would take to separate us from all the stuff we have and all the habits we have developed.  Jesus knew that achieving peace among nations and peace among peoples and peace within families would be a great deal like ripping off a bandaid.  There is no way to do it that it isn't going to hurt.

But we need to discard the old bandaid so real healing can happen and wholeness can be experienced.  We will  come to realize that we cannot have our cake and eat it too - we cannot live with one foot committed to 'the way things are done now' and one longing for God's vision of peace for all.  As long as we dither, we will have no peace.....and until Christ comes again, the world will not truly know the joy that is life in God, the creator and maker of all peace.

Are you looking for peace?  Seek Jesus.