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Monday, April 02, 2007
What the World Needs Now
Psalm 118:1-2,19-29; Luke 19:29-40
The scene vibrates and hums with excited energy.
Jesus and his disciples approach the holy city of Jerusalem to participate in the holy festival of Passover. Riding a borrowed donkey, he's the not so grand marshal of a ragtag parade. The crowd sings and shouts and dances with joy, waves palm branches and lays down tunics in his path, offering up their best shot at a royal welcome.
Each Gospel writer tells the story a little differently. Luke is the only one who tells us all this commotion has something to do with peace. Well, a lot, actually. That caught my eye and gave me a timely message.
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Mention "peace" in the pulpit and some people in the pews start to fidget.
Uh oh, here comes the political speech... I thought we were supposed to keep church and state separate around here... Etc. etc. etc.
We know that political parties, international alliances and coalitions, radically disagree on how and why to find peace in our embattled world.
Most nations work intensively to achieve it through diplomatic channels. Many back up those efforts at negotiation with overwhelming arsenals.
In one Cold War strategy, Western and Soviet powers scared each other silly with the threat of nuclear annihilation -- "mutual assured destruction" they called it, MAD for short. Thankfully, it worked. But what a weird world, living each new day in fear of one nation finally calling the other's military bluff.
But, all things considered, I believe that no sane person or nation wants anything more than a true and lasting peace.
That's what the world needs now, more than anything else in all the world.
I think of all this now because Luke brings it up in chapter 24, verse 38. The enthusiastic crowd accompanying Jesus into Jerusalem sings out,
"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!" That echoes the angels' song in Luke's Christmas story (chapter 2) -- "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" But how interesting that here, as he counts down the days to the Friday when Jesus died on a cross, it's peace in heaven that catches Luke's attention.
I think Luke is saying our earthly peace can only be achieved by God's initiative. By God creating peace on earth through people who've first found their peace with heaven.
Good Friday's horrible death was "the Lamb of God" taking away the sins of the world. Easter's glorious resurrection was "the Lion of the Tribe of Judah" proving God has finally conquered all his enemies -- death and its cause, sin; sin and its source, the devil. In three short days God made peace with every creature and opened up to all creation a peaceable way of life.
If we really believe that, we have the makings of genuine peace -- with anyone, but especially with others who've dedicated their lives to its truth.
Here's how it works:
+If I believe I've been forgiven by the holy God, then I have no choice but to find ways to forgive you for any offense you've committed against me.
+If I believe God is forever patient with me in all my imperfection, then I have to learn how to bear with you, even, or especially, when you fall short of what you could and should be doing.
+If I believe God is still working on me towards all I'm meant to be, then I can do no less than keep experimenting with you... Negotiating... Encouraging your efforts... Trying and re-trying with you -- to finally get things right.
Imagine what this world would look and feel like if enough people approached every relationship that way. Family... Friendship... Business... Public policy... International affairs.
Some would say I'm confusing what one person can and should do, with the much more complex world of social dynamics. That's good food for serious thought.
Even so, all I know is Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." One life at a time, we all do our part to spread around heaven's peace on God's good earth.
Change enough individual minds and whole societies are transformed. Walls have fallen down... Prison doors have opened... Enemies have become partners.
God help us, it's still not too late to join in Jesus' peace parade.
posted by Jack Buckley at
4:22 PM
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