Wednesday, December 6, 2017 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”   (John 14:27)

                In this world of ours the message of Peace as the second tenet of Advent strives to be heard above the din and chaos.

                There is a painting that hangs above my desk in my mini-office, painted my good friend Ron Wilson. It pictures an empty Muskoka chair sitting on a dock by a quiet lake on a lazy summer afternoon. It is serenely peaceful and I wish I was sitting in that empty chair.

                In my increasing older years, I am becoming more wistful about finding some spirit or sense of long-term, deeper, inner peace. There are times I just want to shut the world out, turn off the TV or radio, not read my emails, not go on the Web, tune out the noise, let the world go by in its big hurry, not do anything or go anywhere, and simply get lost in the peace and quiet. There are times when a recluse’s life looks kind of appealing.

                “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favours.” (Luke 2:14) That was a pretty bold if not audacious promise to make. Easy for angels to boast!

Peace seems to be an elusive quality of life. Our peace is disturbed by a host of thoughts, issues, concerns, debates, choices, and questions. Our peace is shattered by illness, disease, losses, struggles and weariness. Our peace is challenged by doubts, obligations, duties, circumstances. Our peace is stretched thin by much that is out of our control and beyond our influence.

                Sing that part about “peace on earth” again to me, please! Loudly!

                But then I also remember Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) The very Peace I am longing for does not come from shutting myself off from the world, nor by ignoring what is imperfect or flawed either in my life or in the immediate world around me. Peace is not realized by my passive, escapist disregard of what is making it feel so unpeaceful.

                Jesus’ peace comes by engaging the circumstances which we are in with actions, words, deeds that pour love on troubled, chaotic waters. If I am not part of the solution then I am part of the problem. His Peace is not just a quiet, dull life but a Life that is full and abundant and trying to make a difference in the world around me. Maybe not a big difference, but a difference just the same: some act of kindness, generosity, compassion, and by displaying a faith in a much bigger picture, one which is full of the Grace and Love of God.

                I will find real, lasting peace through the Way of Jesus. As far as I know, although he enjoyed his quiet times, he seldom took time longing for a Muskoka chair to pass the time away. He found peace in the people he healed, the friends who followed him, the children who surrounded him, the joy of his intimate relationship with his Father, and the challenge of being all he was called to be.

                Maybe that is why the chair in the picture is empty!

Dale