Wednesday, August 7, 2024
“I am tired of
living among people who hate peace. I search for peace; but when I speak of
peace, they want war!” (Psalm
120: 6 -7, New Living Translation)
This past week, Spencer and Amelia,
along with their parents, were up at Nick and Erin’s cottage, visiting cousins William,
Henry and Beckett. We were sent a picture of all five of them sitting together
on a couch, each engrossed in watching something on a screen or tablet. We may
decry how social media is affecting our relationships in a negative fashion but
there may be one positive outcome. When
our grandkids get on their devices, there is very little, if any, squabbling or
bickering. All tends to be peace and quiet. It can go on for considerable time
if one allows before an adult suggests that they should come out of their screen
comas and have some food and get back in the real world. It is very easy grandparenting,
when babysitting, to tell the kids that they can go on their screens, once
their parents go out. Peace and quiet!
So here is my peace plan. We
hand out tablet screens to all world leaders and tell them that they can watch
and stream their favourite shows, play games, watch videos, watch sports and
lose themselves in the social media universe.
Let’s give screens to Putin, Netanyahu, Kim Jong Jun, the Hamas, Zelensky,
the Taliban, any Hawk or warmonger, and let them become so absorbed in what they
are watching that they don’t fight, make war, squabble or seek ways to destroy
and kill.
Okay; it’s a stupid plan. But a
guy’s got to dream and hope. Nobody else seems to be doing much of anything to negotiate
for world peace.
Consider these words from James’
epistle: “Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do
you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your
own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t
have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk
violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it,
would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no
right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.” (James 4: 1 -3, The Message Bible)
If our world leaders insist on
acting like quarrelsome children (except worse), somebody needs to sit them
down and give them a tablet (perhaps of the ten commandments, “Thou shalt not
kill.”). So, let’s distract them, give them something else to think about, give
them a time out, put their minds to other and, hopefully, better uses. They have
too much time on their hands to be cruel, selfish, belligerent, and antagonistic.
They are making a mess of the world and it needs to stop! Maybe, some time watching
Paw Patrol or Mario Brothers would lighten their dark, heavy mindsets. Like the
Psalmist said, I am tried of living among people who hate peace.
The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ,
also has some vital words for these world leaders and for that matter, all of
us. “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the
children of God.” (Matthew 5: 9, NLT) Jesus knew the value of a peace that surpasses
all understanding, one that the world never gives. He valued a peace which reaches
into the core of our being and flourishes into a character of calm, satisfaction,
well-being, joy, thankfulness, serenity, and inner prosperity. If we focus on the
goodness and completeness of life, we will have no time for the distractions or
temptations of jealousy, envy, hatred, prejudices, and those things which come between
us and cause trouble. If we all were to pay more attention to Jesus and his
teachings, the world would be in far better place than it is right now. A guy’s got to dream and hope.
“Then you will experience
God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard
your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)
I’d write more but I need to get
back to my Chromebook. My way of making the world just a little more peaceful.
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