The pursuit of peace

Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all…”

We learned Sunday that we are to pursue peace – follow it – the idea of chasing something – go after it. (www.orlandocommunitychurch.org)

God does grant us peace – the sense of peace – to be at peace – Moses had it when he came down from the mountain – it shown on his face so brightly, people had a hard time looking at him. But the peace was shortlived and he still had about 40 years of tough sledding ahead of him in the wilderness.

Throughout that time, he had to wrestle with being God’s man seeking peace with his disgruntled nation. I can only guess that his wilderness recollections of that peace must have been confusing – everything from strengthening (remembering God’s presence and promises) to doubt (if it was fleeting, perhaps it wasn’t real).

My wife had a mountaintop experience with her breast cancer. It was Moses like. I recall visiting her for the first time in the recovery room – her face had a look to it that surprised me – peaceful, alert – remarkably so and so different from what you’d expect of a woman who’d just had a breast removed.

Afterward, she told me the experience changed the way she saw everything and everyone around her. It was so transforming she thought she’d be changed forever. But the other night she described her frustration at finding herself once again struggling - she wanted to yell at the kids and throttle her neighbor. The Moses-type glow on her face was gone and she was now in the wilderness where peace with those around her was hard to come by.

Hebrews says we are to pursue peace with others. Not sit still and have peace, but to pursue it. To draw an analogy from running, there is no peace at the end of the race if we don’t empty ourselves on the course. Empty your lungs of wind, empty your legs of strength – give it your all. It is the same on the athletic field – losing only REALLY hurts if you quit and winning never feels that good if you didn’t give your best.

So peace is something to go after. While the mountaintop experience is what we all want, we are defined as Christians by how we perform in the wilderness. This is different from yoga and the eastern religions (or at least my understanding of them) in which peace is something to be attained for oneself. While those religions are about us being at peace with ourselves, Christianity is about going after it with others.

I think that means we are supposed to get in the mix. Recall the cleansing peace of the mountain, but get down and dirty with those around us in the wilderness.