Where is this peace?

Hi. Again, let me welcome you to OnMission - we are so thankful that you are with us, following this blog and joining with us as we seek to truly know God.

If this is your first time reading, my name is Howard Edwards; I am an OnMission pastor, and, at least initially I will be the main contributor to this blog. But again, I extend an invite to anyone who might like to help research or contribute directly to this blog to feel free to contact me by email.

As we turn to God’s Word, let us pray:

Almighty God, our Father in Heaven: Give us eyes that see, we want to know You. Give us ears that hear, we need to hear Your Word. Give us hearts that Love, transform us so we might Love as You Love. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen

Scripture:

Now we turn to the Bible and we are reading from a letter God inspired and was written through a man named Paul. We hear a lot about Paul in the Bible, but Scripture does not tell us exactly how Paul’s life ended. But, the letter we are reading from is a thank you letter that is written from a Roman prison; from this letter it is clear Paul believes he will be martyred. This makes his words all the more remarkable, because despite his circumstances he encourages us to trust in God in every circumstance and so Paul reveals that unique peace that comes  from knowing Jesus.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! Let everyone see your gentleness. The Lord is near!  Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you."

Today's reflection is entitled, Where is this Peace?

As we have moved through Advent, many of us will have heard songs and carols proclaiming “peace on earth” and heard Jesus called the “Prince of peace” - and quite understandably, many of us will ask “Where is this peace?” How can we possibly reconcile this Christian peace with the apparent chaos of our lived experience? In a few days we will celebrate the birth of this Prince of Peace … yet our eyes and ears are challenged by the conflict and confusion we see and hear in the world all around us - so, where is this promised peace?

Christians are truth speakers so we cannot deny the facts.

As we look back on the past years, we see individuals and complete societies confronted by anxieties, violence and conflict, not comforted in peace.  We remember and grieve the millions of people lost to this pandemic - millions. We remember violence in the “Holy Land.” We remember people vanishing and dying as governments are overthrown. We remember cultural, social and political intolerance. We remember the closed borders and closed hearts that confronted people fleeing for their lives. We remember power struggles, anger and accusations and the lust for revenge and restitution. We remember broken dreams, personal failures and financial stress. We remember sin and evil - we mourn evil committed in the name of Jesus by people claiming to be Christian. To our mortal eyes and ears, there is no peace.

Many of us feel anxiety over the state of this fragile earth – glaciers melting, sea levels rising, massive earthquakes, frequent and increasingly severe storms, historic flooding here and droughts there, forest fires raging amidst record heat waves. Where is this peace Christians talk about?

It’s an important question. So in response, let me introduce you to Perpetua.

Perpetua was a noblewoman, born into the wealth and luxury of the Roman Empire. A new mom - 22 years old. She lived in Carthage; a prosperous city on the Mediterranean coast of Africa around the year 200.

She had come to know Jesus. But just as she was preparing to be baptised the Church experienced severe horrible persecution. Many Christians, including Perpetua, were thrown into prison because they simply could not ever renounce their faith and deny their Christ.

Perpetua’s dad, who was not Christian pleaded with her to just deny Jesus, get over this foolishness, and live to raise your new baby boy. His approach was no different than what we too often hear today - just get over it - go along to get along - your Christianity is a private choice so just keep it to yourself. But Perpetua could not … she recorded this exchange between herself and her father in her journal:

“Father see this urn… could it be called by any other name than what it is?"

"No," he replied. “What is this nonsense?”

"Well, neither can I be called anything other than what I am; I am a Christian."

At her trial Perpetua was ridiculed and coerced, but she held firm to Jesus as she was sentenced to death. She would be tortured, she would face gladiators and wild beasts and be killed in celebration of an emperor's birthday.

But here is the question - what marked those days of imprisonment leading up to her trial and martyrdom? All who witnessed her torments and suffering were amazed by the peace that enveloped her.

Her concern was for others not for herself - she did not dwell on her persecution and pain - there is no record that she even questioned it. Instead she spoke of Jesus trying to draw everyone she could toward Him and their salvation.

With her sisters and brothers in Christ she worshipped God in that Roman prison. The convicted Christians sang psalms together and shared God’s Word. The onlookers who gathered for the spectacle of Perpetua’s suffering and death were stunned. No anguish? No hatred? Songs - not laments; smiles not weeping and tears? Love and forgiveness, not anger or calls for retribution and revenge? You might imagine their confusion - What is this?

Well, in the Bible we are told this is the peace beyond our understanding found only when we know Jesus.

The terror of Perpetua’s imprisonment and trial happened - the horror and pain of Perpetua’s martyrdom happened - yet with eyes fixed upon Jesus, God opened an amazing path through this terror and horror. Even as she approached her execution, one witness wrote that Perpetua “went along with a shining countenance and calm step as one beloved by God.” The peace amazed those who saw her - but how is that possible?

People will inevitably ask such questions. Such questions are good, because theology begins with questions.

’Theo’ in Greek means "God" and “logy” comes from the Greek verb λέγω "I say.” So, theology is listening to hear what God says in response to our questions.

And one way that God responds to us is through others who have struggled in ages past with the same questions we struggle with today.

A man named Augustine would live in the same city as Perpetua about 150 years after her martyrdom. He would hear her story. He would hear that because of what the people of Carthage witnessed as she died many would come to know Jesus - the Church thrived and even grew in the face of persecution and despite the horrors of Roman oppression. Augustine had questions - these questions would lead him to Jesus and Augustine would become Christian. He would become one of the great theologians of the Church. He was so inspired by Perpetua that he would tell her story as he taught about the peace found only in Jesus.

Augustine wrote, "“God alone is the place of peace, that which cannot be disturbed… Only Love of the immutable brings tranquility." 

Do you hear what he is saying? What we love directly impacts the peace we live. Perpetua Loved Jesus, the One called Prince of peace - the impact of this Love was peace regardless of her circumstances. Perpetua trusted that God was sovereign in all things and so whatever she faced was according to His good Will. Her peace was not an absence of conflict, chaos or confusion - it is a mindset of trust grounded in God’s unchanging (that is immutable) goodness, sovereignty, and Love.

Mutable things are inconsistent things - things that are temporary - things that are changeable - things of this world. Jesus calls earthly things rusting and moth eaten - they will inevitably pass away. Even our lives are mere whispers in time ...

Love of inconsistent, changing, decaying mutable things produces anxiety. Why? Because no peace, no tranquility can be grounded in love and desire for the unstable and unreliable! They will let us down - they will disappear or be lost - in a 100 years, after we are long dead, what asset, what item, what thing, what object of our desire will we still possess? Nothing - these mutable things are dust blown away by the winds of time.

We live in a culture immersed in this fraud that somehow consumer goods, service and experiences can bring us persistent satisfaction and tranquility - that peace can be earned and acquired - but look around. Where is it? Today on the shelves of a big box store - tomorrow in a landfill. These things Augustine called mutable will always deceive and leave us - there is no peace in them.

I recently read an astonishing study that revealed that emotional and mental health among Americans, arguably people living in the wealthiest and most comfortable society in human history, declines significantly as their wealth and luxury increase. Another study speaks of increasing substance abuse among the elite, the rich and famous. What we Love directly impacts the peace we live. Not even the treasures and pleasures of an economy as dominant as that of the U.S. brings us peace.

We work for more. We sacrifice for more. We demand more. We fight for more.  To what end? Certainly not satisfaction. Certainly not peace.

So we must ask, what is immutable - what actually persists and brings peace?

Christians across the ages have answered us! With their words and in their lives they have proclaimed this truth: peace is found only in living with hearts and minds focused and fixed on the One who is uniquely immutable - God. Regardless of what is going on around us, only knowing, trusting, and Loving God in all His majesty and wonder can bring peace.

When we Love God, what is there to fear? When our desire is for Him, we realize anything we might lose because we worship only Him is inconsequential, when compared to the infinite value of God. God is the prize - the infinite benefit - the ultimate best. Following Him is the perfect response to every question in every circumstance.

So here again we find yet another manifestation of the eternal mindset, that eternal-worldview that we have been constantly encountering in Advent. It’s a mindset that brings joy and rejoicing always - a mindset that sees beyond the temporary things of this world - a mindset that hears the Word of our eternal immutable God and knows that He alone is sufficient - in Him alone we find peace that passes all human understanding - He is the immutable God of peace and He is with all who receive Him. If we are His people, He will be our God and in this truth there is peace.

When we know and Love God, there is peace - it is peace that simply cannot exist apart from God - and it is peace that persists because nothing can separate God’s people from Him and His Love.

Like Christian hope and joy that we spoke of earlier in Advent, true peace flows from our restored relationship to God.

This is the peace we witness in a young noblewoman of Carthage as she faced her martyr's death; this is the peace promised in the birth of the Christ Child, this is the peace we sing about as Jesus becomes the center and the focus of our lives …

Hail the heav'n born prince of peace! Hail the Son of righteousness! 

Light and Love to all He brings …come, let us adore Him, He is the Christ, He is our Lord and Saviour … He was born so we might live in His eternal peace.

Let us pray, 

Almighty God: You call us from the uncertainty of the world, to Hope in Jesus. You call us from despair to joy. You call us from death to life eternal, You call us from lies to the Truth. Let peace fill us knowing You call us from fear to trust in You. Let peace fill us knowing You call us Loved. Come beloved Father, Come Jesus, Come Holy Spirit - we want to know you - One God, now and forever. Amen.