Tag Archives: Peace

Chapter-a-Day

Peace and Stability in Volatile Times

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source: eastcentralillinoiswxphotography93 via Flickr
source: eastcentralillinoiswxphotography93 via Flickr

 

In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah…
In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah…
In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah…
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah…
1 Kings 16:8, 15, 23, 29 (NIV)

 

After the reign of Solomon, the nation of Israel was split in two. Ten of Israel’s tribes comprise the northern kingdom of Israel with the capital in Samaria. A “Game of Thrones” is a good way to describe the political situation in the northern kingdom as the throne is occupied by a string of strongmen who largely ascended by power, violence and force. Nineteen kings occupy the throne over a period of about 200 years before being conquered by the Assyrians.

 

The tribes of Judah and Benjamin comprise the southern kingdom of Judah with the capital in Jerusalem. Judah remains loyal to the house of David and clings to God’s promises to David. The throne is occupied by nineteen kings and one queen from the line of David over a period of about 350 years before Judah is conquered by the Babylonians.

 

I found it interesting that King Asa of Judah was described as being faithful to God and he reigned over 40 years. It struck me while reading today’s chapter that during Asa’s reign the political situation in the northern kingdom is extremely volatile with a series of military leaders and strong men claiming the throne. Every one of them is described as being committed to the local pagan idols and gods rather than the God of Israel. In the case of Zimri, he held the throne for an entire week before committing suicide by burning the palace down around him. Yikes.

 

This morning I’m pondering the contrast in the two nations during Asa’s reign. It’s an apt word picture for how I think of my life with and without my faith. Despite the ebb and flow of blessing and tragedy along life’s road, I find a high degree of peace and stability from my faith in Jesus – much like Judah seemed to experience during Asa’s reign. I think back to what I remember life being like before my decision to follow Jesus and it feels a lot like the political situation in Israel with life swaying aimlessly with each shift in the power of emotions or circumstances.

 

Today, I’m thankful for peace and stability even in the midst of volatile life changes.

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Chapter-a-Day

Wisdom and Peace

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Solomon and Hiram
Solomon and Hiram

The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, just as he had promised him. There were peaceful relations between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.
1 Kings 5:12 (NIV)

When you are in any kind of leadership in family, business, church, or civic organizations you are going to face your share of conflict and controversy. As I progress in my journey I have come to realize how critical it is to handle conflict well. Each conflict I face is a fascinating experience for me to think introspectively about how I both unconsciously react and how I choose to respond in the situation.

I liked the description of relations between Solomon and Hiram. Wisdom led to an agreement which led to peace. While the scribe of this story is only concerned with Solomon, the truth is that it took wisdom from both parties to avoid conflict and pursue peace. Hiram was, by no means, a fool in this situation.

Any one can pursue peace, but it generally takes two to reach it. If I have a conflict with a neighbor then my desire is to reason things out and come to a peaceful conclusion, even if that conclusion is an agreement to respectfully disagree. If my neighbor continues to seek me out with reasonable and courteous appeals to change my position, I am happy to continue to discussing, considering, and seeking a mutually beneficial resolution. If, however, my neighbor goes around the neighborhood in anger stirring up trouble for me, my natural response is to dig my heels in and harden my position. One of the things I’ve learned about myself is that I don’t react well when I feel disrespected or bullied. I’m working on that.

Today I am thinking about wisdom and the path to peace. I cannot control others, their words, or their actions. I can only control my own thoughts, words, and actions. I have many personal examples of reacting to conflict with foolish thoughts, words, and actions. Hopefully, the number of these examples is diminishing with time and wisdom is growing in me.

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The Trump Card on the Other Side of the Table

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source: cutenessareej via Flickr
source: cutenessareej via Flickr

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,
    no one who does what is right and never sins.

This only have I found:
    God created mankind upright,
    but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
Eccelsiastes 7:29 (NIV)

 

It is election season here in the U.S. and every television commercial seems to be an attack ad of one form or another. On either side of the aisle these attack ads are all lies, half-truths, obfuscations, and misleading innuendos. Politicians say they hate these ads, but each side says they “must” produce them in response to the other side and they are forced to do it because they work. And, they do work just like the lies, half-truths, obfuscations, and misleading innuendos politicians feed to the press and the public to cover their butts and scheme for their own political agendas on a daily basis.

I was thinking about all this as I drove home from the Twin Cities yesterday. I have long bought in to what Solomon observed in today’s chapter. Evil exists and there will always be those in society who scheme to fulfill their own insatiable desires for personal power, prestige, profits and/or pleasures. When well intentioned individuals and groups try to pursue a winning hand of altruistic, well-intentioned goodwill, evil in its endless array of manifestations is always the trump card on the other side of the table.

I do not think that this means we stop pursuing peace and goodwill. In fact, I believe we need to pursue it all the more vigorously. At the same time, I have come to believe that we cannot pursue good with our eyes closed. For good to succeed in a fallen world, we must acknowledge that evil will seek to thwart its every effort. In some cases evil reveals itself in the violent hacking off of an innocent hostage’s head. In other cases, it subtly works its way into the hearts of of well intentioned, seemingly upright politicians and leads them down a path towards schemes for lust for power, prestige, and personal gain. In all of its manifestations, we must address evil if we are to achieve the good God calls us to do. Jesus began his three years of ministry by confronting the Enemy in the wilderness. In his ministry, Jesus confronted evil as regularly as He healed, fed, loved, and forgave. We would be wise to heed His example.

Chapter-a-Day

My Part in Unity

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Flight Class by Prof ShorthairHow good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together in unity!
Psalm 133:1 (NIV)

On the way back from my weekend at the lake with the guys, my friend Paul told me a new one. A church his parents attended split in two and died a slow, painful death because of a conflict. The big issue that caused so much division, anger and consternation: Whether it was okay for the pastor’s wife to have a job outside the home.

Seriously.

I have a long love-hate relationship with the institutional church. I must confess that when I read the opening lyric of today’s psalm a sarcastic and cynical chuckle left my lips. While I agree with David’s idyllic homage to unity, both he and I know that the more common experience is for God’s people to waste emotional energy in silly conflicts.

Nevertheless, I recognize that the lyric reads “when.” David seems to acknowledge that it’s not an ever always occurrence. I also realize that as a follower of Jesus I have a responsibility to my brothers and sisters. If we are to experience peace and unity then I am required to contribute with a right attitude towards the leaders and those I worship with each Sunday. I am called to act and speak out of loving kindness, deference, forgiveness, grace, and gentleness. I can only control my own thoughts, words, and actions, but if I do my part then perhaps we’re one step closer to a good and pleasant outcome.

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Clear, Concise, and to the Point

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Use Recommendations
Use Recommendations (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT)

I laughed to myself when I heard a preacher admit from his pulpit, “I know that I’m just standing up here saying the same thing over and over.” (I observed that his confession did not lead to a quick conclusion of the message.)

I love messages simply crafted, clearly delivered, which get effectively to the point. As I have read through the letters of Paul, Peter, John, and James countless times I am always struck when they conclude with a quick, and to the point, summation. In today’s chapter, Paul concluded his letter to the believers of Jesus in the city of Corinth with this summation:

  • Be joyful.
  • Grow to maturity.
  • Encourage each other.
  • Live in harmony and peace.

It’s like a quick check list. Without consciously thinking about it I read this one short list and find myself asking, “How am I doing?” as I read through each bullet. Questions abound. Am I joyful? Why or why not? Am I growing more mature? How do I know? What signs can I point to in my life? Am I encouraging others? Who? How? Am I living in harmony with others? What’s discordant? What is in harmony? Where am I sharp? Where am I flat?

I then find myself seeking one thing I can do today to experience joy, to grow, to encourage or to live in peace and harmony. One thing to keep pressing on towards my goal.

Quick, clear, concise, and to the point.

Got it. Let’s roll.

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Chapter-a-Day

Sometimes You Have to Go Home

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Rembrandt, The Return of the Prodigal Son, 166...
Rembrandt, The Return of the Prodigal Son, 1662–1669 (Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jacob came home to his father Isaac in Mamre, near Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years. Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him. Genesis 35:27-29 (NIV)

There’s something fascinating to me about the theme of going home. I find it one of the most powerful themes in life and in literature, and it is the core theme of a play I wrote. As a matter of fact, it’s also one my favorite things about baseball. How cool is it that the object of a game is to arrive safely home? Jesus even tapped into this theme in the parable that has become arguably his most famous and powerful story: the prodigal son.

One of the common experiences of being human is leaving home. Sometimes the leaving is a natural and healthy part of the process of becoming an adult and making your own way in life. Others have a more harrowing tale to tell of brokenness, abandonment, or escape from an unhealthy family situation. No matter the personal story, I’ve discovered along the journey that at one time or another almost everybody faces this life situation of returning home. Sometimes it’s a fun an nostalgic event, sometimes it’s a journey of repentance, sometimes it’s a confrontational situation or an event fraught with anxiety, fear and uncertainty. Very often, that return home is forced upon us by the death of a loved one as it was for Jacob as he returns to bury his father, Isaac.

I’ve also come to realize that this concept of going home is about reconciliation and about personal peace. I’ve witnessed a restlessness of spirit in those who live with broken relationships or unfinished business back home, especially with parents. The process of facing the issues which are churning that restlessness of soul can be one of the most pivotal and powerful in a person’s life journey. No matter what the outcome, the journey home and the confrontation can be the key to finding a sense of healing – even if it’s only with one’s self.

Sometimes, you have to go home.

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Chapter-a-Day

Peace and Family

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The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau, as in Ge...
The Reconciliation of Jacob and Esau, as in Genesis 33, oil on panel, at the National Galleries of Scotland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. Genesis 33:4 (NLT)

Jacob had every reason to fear his brother Esau. Esau had been deceived by his younger brother and had stolen both his birthright and his father’s blessing. Furthermore, Esau was a man’s man and a man of the wild. Jacob stood little chance against his brother if it were to resort to combat. Yet there was an obvious desire to reconcile with his brother.

We sometimes forget in the midst of all the stories that Esau and Jacob were twins. Having grown up with twin brothers you realize that there is a connection between them that is at once natural and mysterious. They shared a womb, they shared all of the experiences of the formative years together. Despite the obvious differences between them it does not surprise me that both Jacob and Esau had an intimate desire to be at peace with one another.

Along the journey I’ve been blessed to live in peace with my family. Relationships ebb and flow as our respective journeys take us on divergent paths, every family goes through periods of tension or strife, yet I would drop everything in a moments notice if any of my family were in need and I trust the same to be true of them. I’ve also witnessed friends who don’t have that blessing of love and peace with their family. In every one of these cases, however, I’ve also observed a desire to be at peace with their distant family member(s) and a restlessness of spirit that occurs in those who have family relationships that are broken, distant or have never been reconciled.

Today, I’m offering thanks for my siblings and my family. It is a good thing to live in peace.

Chapter-a-Day

Hot Spots

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Abram Journeying into the Land of Canaan (engr...
Abram Journeying into the Land of Canaan (engraving by Gustave Doré from the 1865 La Sainte Bible) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Chapter-a-Day Genesis 13

But the land could not support both Abram and Lot with all their flocks and herds living so close together. So disputes broke out between the herdsmen of Abram and Lot. (At that time Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.) Genesis 13:6-7 (NLT)

“Hot spot” is the term used to describe an area of international conflict. Those whose business it is to monitor and handle such crises are constantly aware of what is happening in the various hot spots around the globe. Some hot spots rise and fade with changing political, financial or environmental climate, but others are always places of heated conflict.

As I read of the conflict that arose between Abram and Lot in the land of Canaan I was amazed to think that the land over which they fought seems always to have been a hot spot. It is still a hot spot today. One wonders after many millenia of conflict whether it will ever change.

Today I’m thinking about hot spots in our own lives. Conflict in families, between spouses, or neighbors that seem to perpetuate over time. Layer after layer of conflict is laid between two parties until it is virtually impossible to disentangle the layers and find common ground on which to arrive at peaceful resolution. What a reminder of the fallen world in which we live and breath and share our journey. While the hot spots of the international variety are beyond my reach, God’s Message does tell me: Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. I can do that. I can determine how I will handle and respond to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, clients, and strangers I encounter along the way. I can choose my words and determine my attitude and actions so as to diminish and avoid relational hot spots in my own life.

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Psalm 23

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Quiet conversation on the dock.

…he leads me beside quiet waters….
Psalm 23:2b (NIV)

My friends and family know that life has been a little bit of crazy for Wendy and me this summer. Nothing bad, mind you. Thank God, we are well and the craziness has not been the result of tragedy or ill circumstance. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. Business for us has been the best it’s been since the recession began in 2008. New projects seem to pop up unexpectedly. Our little community theatre, where we both serve as board members, is producing some great shows, was recently awarded for an outstanding show, and has a silver anniversary celebration coming up for which we’re largely responsible. Our Playhouse has been buzzing with activity this summer which requires some unique work and stress of its own. We are are so blessed at the moment.

On the back door of our house is a mezuzah. If you don’t know to look for it, you might not notice it’s there. It’s a small box that, in the Jewish tradition, is fixed to the door post of your house to remind you of God’s message as you go in and out. Our mezuzah is ceramic, and I bought it in a little hole-in-the-wall shop off the narrow streets of Old Jerusalem in Israel. Inside the mezuzah are various verses from God’s Message. Along with the traditional verses, Wendy and I each picked out a few of our own to put in there when we hung it a few years back.

Calling Wendy from my hotel last night, she asked me if I remember the verses she picked to put in there. I did not. She reminded me that one of the verses says:

Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10b (NIV)

With that we spent a few minutes counting and naming our blessings and uttering a quick prayer of thanks. Our crazy summer is not the result of bad things but good things. We are scrambling to keep up with our blessings, and we don’t want to take that for granted. Things can turn on a dime. We are so grateful.

Today’s chapter are the familiar lyrics of the 23rd Psalm. I know them well. In fact, as I slogged down to the hotel lobby, still half-asleep, to fill my travel mug with coffee I began mulling over the words in my mind from memory. I came to “he leads me beside quiet waters” and immediately my heart was on the dock at the lake as the sun rises behind the trees at the back of the cove. The quiet waters of the lake have always been a place of peace for me. The gentle lull of the waves are the conduit for God’s spiritually restorative powers.

I’m feeling weary this morning and I’m appreciatively taking refuge in God’s promise to lead me to restful places beside quiet waters. In 48 hours, God willing, I’ll be on that dock as Wendy and I entertain good friends at the lake this weekend. Until then, I’ll seek my rest in God’s presence and promises.

Chapter-a-Day

Chapter-a-Day Psalm 11

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But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
    the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
    examining every person on earth.
Psalm 11:4 (NLT) 

It is early. I’d planned on taking this week off of my chapter-a-day posts, but this morning I woke before dawn and, after laying awake for a while, felt called to the quiet. Rarely these days am I around so much noise and activity. The Playhouse has been full of life and kinetic energy this week with five very busy young people and six weary adults trying desperately to keep up. So much fun. So much noise. So much laughter and screaming. So many tears. The surround sound of life abundant.

I’ve always found quiet in the mornings, even at home in our empty nest where things are pretty much quiet all day. “The Lord is in His holy Temple” today’s chapter tells us, and how interesting to have God’s Message remind those who follow Jesus that we ourselves are temples of God’s Spirit, who dwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16). And so, as light slowly rises in the east I come to the quiet to center in, to seek the Lord in His holy Temple where He can be found, and to find peace at the start of my day. I come to the quiet even on days that will be filled with relative quiet, but I find this time with God especially rich on days that I know will be brimming over with life’s joyful noises.

I thought I would take the week off from my chapter-a-day posts, and yet here I am once again. I come back to the quiet. I rest on the page.