One Voice for Peace

 

 

 

A lone voice or peace, a lone voice or peace to be for peace is a choice. It’s not always an easy choice. Surrounded by war, cries and hostilities, the voices calling for calm are often muffled and malign.

Dissonant is the music of the drum beat. It’s thunderous is the rhythm of the, of the boots on the ground, marching forth to battle for power, for dominance, for supremacy, for prestige, for wealth. And they bring all forms of harsh criticism.

Furthermore, your motives may be questioned. If you stand for peace. At best, you might be considered unrealistic at worse, disloyal. David says in Psalm 120:5–7:

Woe is me, that I am an alien in Meshech,

that I must live among the tents of Kedar.

too long have I had my dwelling

among those who hate peace.

I am for peace;

but when I speak,

they are for war.

Imagine his frustration, his despair, his sadness, his sorrow. A sure way to invoke the wrath of those who are for war is to speak for peace.

It will take all your prayer, all your strength, not to break with your resolve, not to lash out and, and not to wish Ill upon those who wish ill upon you.

Your tormentors rage. Their anger can be strong, and their condemnation can be chilling.

You have your marching orders from a higher commander, and you’re declared to be blessed by the Prince of Peace who said, in the midst of a storm to the storm, speaking directly to the storm in, but also to the storm within our hearts, “Peace. Be still”

He still speaks peace

to the trouble in the world,

to turmoil,

soil of fear,

toil of tears,

but my soul can be still sided

with by the one who walks beside.

When I cried, he heard,

when I sighed, he spoke the word.

Nothing has changed.

I am not shaken.

These are days of grace.

I think of the melody Finlandia by Sebelius, words translated from the German work Katharina von Schlegel, a Lutheran who wrote during the pietist period of the 18th century,

With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In ev’ry change he faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav’nly Friend

Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as he has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: The hour is hast’ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Be for peace in a time of war. In a time where voices cry for hostility, whether that’s formal war or just the hostilities among people whose words are intemperate, whose intentions are suspect, whose anger is volatile, whose lust for conflict is greater than their desire for peace.

That requires the grace of God. But in giving that grace, our Lord, Jesus speaks to your soul and says, “Peace, Peace, Peace b still.”

Finally, I have a prayer for those who seek to destroy life and who take pleasure in the misfortune of others.

It is a prayer that they would find righteous shame in their actions and disgrace in their attitudes …

That they might seek grace in its only true source.

“Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed who seek after my life to destroy it; let them draw back and be disgraced who take pleasure in my misfortune. “ — Psalm 40:15

Peace Words and Thoughts

“How radically new my life would be if I were willing to move beyond blaming to proclaiming the works of God in our midst.” Henri Nouwen

Words for the Wind

Descriptive

Prescriptive

Addictive words

Whooshing over our heads

Rousing us from our beds

Turbulent

Soothing

Violent

Moving

Forming shapes

Transforming landscapes

Words and Wind

From norm to storm

They disturb us and

They create us

Peace comes by them and

In the midst of them.