Searching For Peace

                Lately I have been thinking a lot about the word "peace" and what that means exactly. I feel that I have taken this word for granted in that I have always assumed a good grasp on its definition. However, the more I think of how the word applies to my life and the lives of those around me, the more I begin to question my own understanding of the word. Here are some thoughts I have on the subject:

                The first thing that comes to mind when I think of peace is the word "rest". I imagine a sea that is amidst a raging storm and, in this instance, peace would be when the waves come to a rest. When the sea becomes still. This is not only a metaphor used in scripture but also something that we see Jesus actually do. After all, He is supposed to be the Prince of Peace. Yet, for me, I can't seem to find rest at the moment. And even though I consider myself to be a follower of Jesus, I'm not quite sure how to find peace. For me, the sea continues to rage.

                Recently, I heard a story of a man who called himself the Peace Pilgrim. He adopted the name from a woman who traveled around the country with no possessions for over 22 years trusting that God would provide for her. Her successor, the new Peace Pilgrim, set out on his own journey and lasted three days before he gave up and went back to his own life. This is interesting because he was on a journey for peace but found his situation to be too overwhelming for him to continue. Even though he did not accomplish what he set out to do, he ended his journey no longer troubled by the worries that caused him to begin his trek This begs the question, did he give up on peace or did he find peace? (For the full story of the Peace Pilgrim, listen to This American Life #483) http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/483/self-improvement-kick

                Also recently, I had a discussion with a friend of mine. He was recounting his own struggle of finding peace. He could not reconcile all the bad things we face as people with his own thoughts on Christian spirituality. He told me that he was no longer concerned with whether or not he went to heaven or hell. That his only concern was to follow Jesus teachings by loving others and showing them God's love. He asked me if I thought he was still a Christian. The question still puzzles me as I type these words. Because to me, there is something liberating about not concerning yourself with the truly unknown, but at the same time, my friend is deeply troubled and not at all feeling rest from the thoughts going through his head.

                So, one of my favorite books of the Bible is Ecclesiastes. It is a fascinating book in that it almost seems to be contradictory of itself. The author continually tells us that all endeavors we may undertake are meaningless. Some translations use the word "futile" or "striving after the wind", or that everything is like "vapor". Yet, the author then turns around to tell us that we should enjoy life and the gifts that God has given us. Even though he just told us that it was meaningless. So which is it?

                There are two types of things, according to Ecclesiastes. There are things that are finite. You, me, the world we live in, everything under the sun. Then, there is God who is infinite. My friend who asked me about his own salvation, he also asked me why Jesus is important. And the same with my understanding of peace, I think I have taken for granted the importance of Jesus amongst all the things that we talk about as Christians. Jesus is the hope that we can have peace. If everything is meaningless, then nothing we do on earth will ever amount to anything more than what happens when it happens. Then, like vapor, it vanishes in the wind. Yet, Jesus gives us the hope that heaven can indeed exist here on earth. That maybe we can bring a little bit of the infinite here to the finite.

                So for me, I still find it hard to let my mind be at ease. Emotional peace still seems like a distant relative of mine that I see once every few years at the family reunion. Someone I care about deeply but not someone I ever get to know very well. At the same time, I feel at ease knowing that Jesus is bringing peace into my life. I feel the waves becoming calm even as they continue to crash over the side of the boat. That thought I can take comfort in. I’ve tried to stop worrying about finding peace, and all the other things that pass like vapor, and start thinking about what God is doing in my life and how that effects my relationship with Him and those around me. Peace only comes when you give up trying to accomplish it on your own and let God bring peace to your life. After all, He is called the Prince of Peace.