Just A Few Words - Peace

Just a Few Words - Peace

An eye for an eye ends up making the whole world blind. —Mahatma Gandhi

THE WORLD IS AT WAR and we’re losing. Yes, we’re losing—all of us.

Just consider the words of Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, president of the United Nations General Assembly, which he delivered in November 2008: “The bitter reality of conflicts in many countries dwarf the ability of peacekeepers to fulfill their mandates.”^a

Political agendas. Philosophies. Social injustices. Religion. Territories. Oil. Revenge. We fight and we fight and we fight. But no one ever wins. Human beings die.

And the church is often no better at keeping peace. Talk to any friend or neighbor and they can probably recount to you firsthand the conflicts that simmer—and sometimes boil over—within their congregations.

The church is at war and we’re losing. Yes, we’re losing—all of us.

Agendas. Judgment. Self-service. Infighting. Gossip. Backbiting. Capital campaigns. We fight and we fight and we fight. But no one wins. The church dissolves.

I am at war with myself as I wrestle in the middle of the night, replaying my actions and words from that day in my mind. Poor decisions. Dreadful reactions. Harsh words spoken. Like the furry creatures in the arcade “bop a mole” game, my mistakes keep popping back up in my mind. I fight and I fight and I fight. But I never win. My peace evaporates.

And sometimes, I go to war with God. I want answers, and I want them now. When quick solutions don’t surface or the answers are not what I was looking for, I wrestle with God. I fight and I fight and I fight. But I don’t win here either.

What is the source of the wars and the fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you? (James 4:1, HCSB)

When James wrote to the “twelve tribes” of Jewish believers, he really nailed the source of all our wars. Cravings are in an all-out battle within us every day. The craving to be right. The craving to be heard. The craving to convince. The craving for power. The craving for forgiveness. The craving to change. The craving for the status quo.

Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for a world at war, for the church he loved, and for your peace. Maybe it’s time for you to take solace in that love and sacrifice and give peace a chance. Because clearly no one wins otherwise.

Peace be with you.

^a See http://www.un.org/ga/president/63/statements/peacekanniversary071108.shtml.