Posts Tagged: peace
“On Not Turning Back to Folly”
“Psalm 85:9
I will listen for the word of God; surely the Lord will proclaim peace to his people, to the faithful, to those who trust in him.”
“Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to folly.”
(Psalm 85:8 The Holy Bible, English Standard Version)
My problem is that I want to trust God, and I want to hear God speak peace to me and to this weary world. On the other hand, I really want to hang on to or return to just a little bit of folly. But having a little folly in my heart and mind is like having a few small mice in my house. Folly breeds folly—rapidly. There are some things that are mutually exclusive.
Foolishness is not a good thing, according in the Old Testament. Commenting on the adjective “foolish,” which is built off the same root as the word translated “foolishness” or “folly” in Psalm 85:8, one Hebrew lexicon has the following rundown on what the word suggests:
“. . . the kᵉsîl is not silent like the “wise”; rather his mouth reveals his “foolishness” (→ ʾᵉwîl 3; e.g., 12:23; 13:16; 14:7, 33; 15:2, 14; 18:2; 29:11, 20), and his false, evil (→ raʿ ) heart (15:7; 19:1; cf. Eccl 10:2) leads others “into conflict” and is a “downfall” and “trap” for the kᵉsîl himself (18:6f.; cf. 10:18). He spreads evil gossip (10:18), is dangerous to his neighbors (13:20; 17:12), disdains his mother (15:20), is grief and misfortune for his parents (10:1; 17:21, 25; 19:13). He is useless (26:6; cf. v 10; Eccl 10:15b) and takes pleasure in acts of shame (Prov 10:23; 13:19). He hates “knowledge” (1:22; 18:2) and is “wise” in his own eyes (26:5, 12; 28:26), an attitude that only more sharply emphasizes his folly.”[1]
This is not exactly the portrait of the man I want to be. It is, however, a snapshot of the man I sometimes am.
So, what will it be? Will I return to folly or not? Will I choose to set myself up to hear God’s
words of peace and well-being, or will I return to foolishness? Today—probably many times today—I will need
to make my choice. May I, may you,
choose wisely and choose wisdom!
[1]M. Sæbø, “כְּסִיל,” TLOT, 2:621.
“The Civil War is Winding Down”
“But all Israel and Judah loved David, for he went out and came in before them.” (1 Samuel 18:16, English Standard Version)
My Hebrew students and I were reading a couple of verses in 1 Samuel, when one of them asked, “Why does it speak of Israel and Judah in 18:16? I thought it was just Israel.”
That is an excellent question! But it isn’t a simple one. The truth seems to be this: The people of Israel were never really “one nation under God” or under anyone else. The North (often called “Israel”) was bigger, generally flatter and richer. The South (often called “Judah”) was smaller, hillier and poorer. And there was frequently tension between them. Sometimes, after they became two separate nations, they would cooperate with each other. More often, they were at war with one another.
I gave a brief course in geography and ancient Israelite history. But then, I made a more sweeping statement, after one of my students commented that it sounded like families. “Yes,” I responded, “families, states, communities, nations, the world, capitalists, communists. The truth is that we are all engaged in various wars.”
And then, I added what I think is profoundly true. “Of course, all these wars are simply the spill-over from the walking civil wars that each of us is. We all have the voices in our heads that tell us mutually exclusive things. Because we are at war with our selves, we are at war with everyone else and everything else.”
However, there is another truth. My own personal civil war is winding down. I am happier in my own skin these days. I don’t hear the destructive voices in my head nearly as loud or as often. I am more acquainted with peace than I am with strife these days. Not only are peace and I getting acquainted. We are becoming intimate friends.
I’d like to take some personal credit for this. Indeed, maybe I should. I have worked hard. Counseling, 12-step groups, checking in with my sponsor, actually thinking about my words and actions—sometimes. Yes, I have worked hard to bring my civil war to a peaceful resolution.
But I owe so much to others as well. I owe my counselors, my 12-step friends, my sweet, forgiving wife (who also calls on things when she needs to do so), my students, my church and community group. A lot of friends, both believers and not-yet-believers, have helped to broker the peace.
Yes, the civil war is winding down. Not because one side won, but because all sides are one.
And, above all and beneath all, there is the One God, of whom it is said,
“He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
‘Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!’ ” (Psalm 46:9-10, English Standard Version)
“Of Locked Doors and Peace Missions”
DTEB, “Of Locked Doors and Peace Missions”
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21)
My “3-Minute Retreat” from Loyola Press today was a meditation on John 20:21. This verse is embedded in an incident recorded in John’s Gospel. Just after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were still terrified. They were huddled together in an upper room of a house, with the door locked because of fear.
I can identify with that. You see, I have lots of locked doors behind which I hide. Some are locked from the outside—or, at least, that is what I tell myself. Other doors, I myself have locked. Sometimes, I pretend that I can even lock God out of my life. However, “pretend” is the operative word in the preceding sentence.
Or is “pretend” the operative word? Maybe “God” is the operative word.
Yes, I think that’s it!
As the retreat master pointed out, in the verses just before John 20:21, we are told that the disciples were in the upper room with the door locked (vs. 19). However, it would seem that the risen Jesus is not terribly impressed with locked doors. He simply dematerialized on one side of the door, and rematerialized on the other. Apparently, if this is the least desire for faith, Jesus will enter. The desire, and the love and desperation that provoke that desire, are the only key that Jesus needs to enter our lives.
Vs. 20 tells of the joy of the disciples when Jesus showed them his hands and side. I can hear them saying to themselves and to one another, “Yep! That’s Jesus alright!”
What I need is a John 20:20 vision of a LORD who suffered for my sins and for the sins of the whole world, but who is not intimidated by my locked doors, or by anyone’s locked doors.
But this story from John is not simply about Jesus overcoming my fear and locked doors. It is about sending me out to the world on a peace mission. I am called to proclaim peace to everyone else. In this same story, we are told that peace is a matter of knowing that our sins are forgiven. And we are given the Holy Spirit to make our calling effective.
Make no mistake about it. Jesus has not sent his disciples to a serene mountain retreat. No. Jesus sends us into a battle. The world is a war zone. Our wars, both individual and collective ones, are the bitter fruit of our fears.
I suspect that we would all go back to hiding behind locked doors, if it were not for two things.
First, Jesus comes to us through our locked doors. After a while, perhaps we begin to say to ourselves, “Oh, what’s the use? He is going to show up anyway. Why not just throw the doors wide open?”
Second, we eventually realize that being locked in a room, even if it is locked from the inside, isn’t all that much of an adventure. And Christ’s peace mission is nothing, if not an adventure.
Are you up for an adventure?
“NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AT THE CRACK OF DAWN”?
“Nothing good ever happens at the crack of dawn.” (The worship leader at our church.)
“Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark [even before the crack of dawn, DTEB], Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.” (John 20:1, NIV. Words enclosed in square brackets are my addition.)
Our worship leader at church, in response to a comment made by someone else, said, “Nothing good ever happens at the crack of dawn.” It is fairly obvious that Jay is not a morning person.
My wife (who is not a morning person either) leaned over to me and whispered, “I don’t know about that. What about the resurrection of Jesus?”
I am not sure that the worship leader had thought through the theological implications of his generalization. Apparently, there are some good things that happen at the crack of dawn, or even before.
How about you? Are you cold and in the dark? Do you feel like it isn’t even the crack of dawn yet, and that nothing good could possibly come to you? That the dawn may come for others, but not for you?
I have often felt that way in the past myself. Not so much anymore.
My youngest son, who hasn’t had much to do with either his mom or me in the past six years, called last night, and is planning to come down to see us today. Will he follow through on that? I don’t know. He has a good, kind heart. I am completely responsible for the alienation that he and his brother and sisters feel toward me. I suspect that our youngest is very conflicted.
But the dawn came today anyway. And though the sky is overcast, and the future uncertain, I have hope and peace and joy and gratitude in my heart. Why? Not because my son is coming to see us. He may or may not. I have hope and peace and joy and gratitude—and they have me—because of Jesus and his resurrection. Because my sins, which were many are all washed away (as the old hymn says). Because my hope and peace and joy and gratitude are in the God who is with me right here, right now.
And because of this God, because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, I can face anything and any time—even the darkness before the dawn.
“BEING LOVED TOUCHES THE HEART”
A friend of mine in a twelve-step group I am part of is new to the program and young in years. However, he is very wise. He gave me a wonderful ritual: He touches his heart many times a day in order to remind himself of God’s love for him.
So, I have started doing this as well. I started it before I began writing this blog.
I used to think of symbols as being counterfeit substitutes for reality. Certainly, symbols can become hollow, emptied of all meaning.
However, symbols can also be powerful acted-out metaphors, pointing toward reality. And what reality is greater than God’s love for us?
To remind myself of God’s love for me is to remember than I am worthwhile. I have struggled with a feeling of unworthiness (if not worthlessness) since I was a small child. But, if God loves me . . ., oh my!
When I feel loved by God, I am more at peace and am more productive. When I touch my chest gently, I relax and can focus on the work at hand.
When I remind myself of God’s love for me, I am freed to love others as well. There is a saying that “Hurt people hurt people.” This is true. However, it is also true that loved people love people.
How about joining a club—the touching-the-heart club? Perhaps we can start a helpful trend!
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
- “Even a Sliver of Light” April 9, 2024“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:6, English Standard Version) I missed the total eclipse yesterday. There were a number of good reasons for this, but […]
- “The Process in Miracles and the Miracle of Process” March 11, 2024“2 Kings 5:1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the LORD had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 Now the Syrians on one of their raids […]
- “The Power of Encouragement—Even for Old People” March 10, 2024“But encourage each other every day while it is ‘today.’ Help each other so none of you will become hardened because sin has tricked you.” (Hebrews 3:13, New Century Version) Yesterday, I was walking at a nearby park. There was a large group of young people some of whom were running while other young people […]
- “Endurance” March 10, 2024“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36, English Standard Version) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us […]
- “The Limits of Non-Judgmentalism” February 24, 2024“Matt. 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. Matt. 7:2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” (Matthew 7:1-2, English Standard Version) This morning, in my virtual 12-step meeting, we discussed the topic of judgmentalism. There were many wise […]
- “Delighting in Being Told What to Do?!?” February 23, 2024“Psa. 112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! 2 His offspring will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures […]
- “Character is the Real Lesson” January 19, 2024I am often confused about what lesson I’m really supposed to be learning. For example, this morning I was trying to knock out several Spanish lessons. My intentions were a lot better than my internet connection. I’ve done three lessons. Or rather, I’ve done two lessons. One of them I did twice because the internet […]
- “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked” January 1, 2024Each year, I try to come up with one word or a short phrase for what I intend to work on in the upcoming year. 2024 is “The Year of Becoming Un-Planked”. What?!! What does that even mean? So glad that you asked! Jesus said to his disciples, “Why do you look at the speck […]
- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
- “That Don’t Impress God Much” December 14, 2023DTEB, “That Don’t Impress God Much” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” (Song by Robert John Lange and Shania Twain) Micah 6:8 (MSG) “But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be […]
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