Jesus offers a different kind of peace.
Every Sunday, a member of our congregation has a reading from the Bible. Sometimes it’s from the Old Testament and sometimes it’s from the New Testament.
Last week, it was from 1 Timothy. There was a newborn baby in attendance, just a couple of months old. He had been lying quietly in his carrier the entire service. He was quiet through the announcements. He was quiet through the singing. He was even quiet through the prayer.
But, when our reader began to read, right when she got to the part about “living peaceful and quiet lives,” that baby began to fuss. Our reader didn’t miss the irony either as she chuckled and continued to read, although at one point it became a bit of a competition on who could be the loudest.
His grandmother scooped him up and walked him out. She returned a short time later having soothed him in the way that only grandmothers know how.
He was quiet for the remainder of the service.
I thought about that sweet baby long after that service was over and I thought about peace and our concept of it.
So often we think of peace physically. We think of peace and quiet as in no screaming kids, or ringing phones, or even loud music. We think of it as the absence of noise or maybe that which annoys us.
We also think of peace as the absence of conflict and that is a rare state these days. We are normally involved in some type of conflict whether big or small. In the broken world that we live in, conflict between ourselves and others seems to be a given.
But, does living in regular conflict and in constant noise mean that peace is impossible?
As Christians, Jesus offers us a different kind of peace. Not surprisingly, it’s a spiritual concept rather than the physical. It’s so easy to forget in this physical life, that we are spiritual beings too, and the spiritual can feed the physical.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
He also said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
In these times when worldly peace seems so far out of reach, Jesus reminds us that when we seek peace through Him, what is happening on a physical level doesn’t really matter that much. We are spiritual beings in physical bodies only traveling here, not staying here permanently.
But, while we are here, Jesus calls us to live with the peace of knowing that we are His and He has overcome all that is worldly, and in the end, because we are His, we will too.
A baby who was fussing in church, reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂