The Peace that Brings Conflict

With all the warring going on in the world -- Iraq, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, in our neighborhoods, I cannot help but wonder when enough is enough - when will we stop killing and hurting each other.

Jesus in John's Gospel says, "Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives." But what kind of peace is this? This is what we talked about last night when we met at Panera Bread in Round Lake Beach at sacred space.

As our conversation unfolded we quickly realized that Jesus' peace is contrary to the world's concept of peace -- in fact many war against Jesus concept of peace. Much of what we think about politically as peace has more to do with truce keeping or truce making. But Jesus did not call us to be truce makers but peacemakers. We concluded that there is a difference.

The peace of Christ often stands in opposition to the "ways of peace" in our world today. We seek peace or truce in the context of power - truce usually involves one power submitting to another in order for "peace" to exist. The UN peacekeeping forces are meant to keep the balance of power in a region so that war does not erupt out of the fragile peace.

However, Jesus' peace stands in such contrast with the ways of the world, that often we war against the peace of Christ when it comes into our midst, rather than embracing it - because embracing Christ's peace most often requires of us "to turn the other cheek," "to go a second mile with one who exerts power over us," "to love our enemies." We are called to embrace this way of peace, and usually such embracing seems to result in suffering rather than victory. It seemed that Christ was defeated when he embraced peace by being crucified on the cross for the sake of humanity, but it was only through his death and in our identifying with his death, that we share in the victory of life that is whole, life that is peace.

When the peace of Christ confronts us and asks the impossible of us in our relationships with those who war against us, too often we war against the way of Christ and so contribute to the never-ending struggle of our warring against another. But if we surrender to Christ and the way of Christ, not reluctantly, but embracing such a surrender, we become peacemakers of a new way of being in the world that unmasks the powers, triumphs over the oppressors not necessarily by bringing them into submission, but by giving witness to what it means to be a people of peace in the world. We may die in living this peace, but it is a peace that will overcome the warring of the world.

In this way Christ's peace is in conflict with the ways of the world -- and the longer we refuse to embrace it, the more we will war against it. Yet God is calling together a community of people in the world who will witness to by living out the way of Christ's peace in the world. What of ourselves are we willing to sacrifice, to surrender to be bringers of such a peace - reputation, our esteem, our positions, what others think of us?

As we enter the New Year, may we embrace the peace of Christ in the way of Christ Jesus.

Roland

Re-imagining Becoming Like a Child

Wednesday mornings I hang out at Panera Bread on Rollins in Round Lake Beach. Usually there are two or more of us and we engage in some kind of dialogue engaging God's Story. Sometimes though I have time to read and reflect. Today was one of those days - the day after Christmas.

One of the books I am reading is Jesus in the Margins and I read through the chapter on "Becoming the Child."

The author reminded me that "Jesus invites us to re-imagine life as a child" - particularly as "a child of God" (p. 120). He sets this in the context of Jesus asking his disciples the question in Matthew's Gospel, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" As adults too often we respond to such a question by focusing on power, prestige, position, reputation, etc. -- seeking somehow to attain our greatness.

Jesus, however, presented a different perspective -- "Unless you become like a child, you will never be great in the kingdom of God."

I think I am learning this lesson in my life, over the past couple of years, though I still have a way to go. We have taken on so many of the trappings of "being adult," "being mature," which perhaps is another way to say "we've got life under control, our control, my control" that we have forgotten how to really see what life is about.

To become like a child, is not to become less mature, but it means to take on certain characteristics which are lost when we make life about ourselves. Being like a child, which enables us to live life in the way of Jesus is (1) to have eyes to see the wonder in life, to take the time to be open to the amazing things in life -- as adults we too often move so fast that we miss the wonder. (2) to have the freedom to play -- too often in trying to control our lives, life becomes about toil and making the grade. When we learn to trust God to lead us in life, resting in the Spirit of God to unfold life before me, we can develop a spirit that is free to engage more in play. (3) to be free to create -- this connects with wonder and play. Too often as an adult I make things to fit in with the goals and needs of others. However, if I can catch a glimpse of what God is about in the world and be a part of that, I am free to be creative in ways that shares in God's continuing activity of creation -- be it in people's lives, in work, etc. (4) discover what it is to live life unashamed. We learn shame early, we learn early what is not quite right about us, how we don't fit in, we learn early to be embarrassed by ourselves. But to learn to trust in God, to share in the life of God is to rediscover what it is to be spiritually unashamed -- which carries over into bringing healing into our lives regarding how we see ourselves as being free to live, as we are, in ways which God leads us. We do not need to live by the expectations of others. (5) Children walk in innocence and trust. To be adult is to be aware. It is not naive to live life that does not cater to "playing the game," being political astute so that you can get ahead, "doing the necessary thing, rather than the right thing." Instead, living a life that fosters the ethic of Jesus, trusts the Spirit of God to guide us through life -- enables us to be people, adults, who live by a different rhythm in this world - we present an alternative reality that builds others up, rather than uses people for our own gain.

I guess, as I reflect on Christ becoming a human being through birth as a child, it is a reminder that Jesus began life in this way so that we might not become calloused and closed-hearted, but open to the wonder of God in the world. Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear where God is in the world?

Roland