Now, it's entirely possible, that I've been sick, or out of town for all the applicable Sundays and have just missed out. Or, that I've just been in the wrong wards. Or I slept through all three of the talks on peace in the last general conference (I repeat: this is entirely possible). But clearly, I'm hinting that I find this explanation less likely. So, today, I present some thoughts on peace.
peace, with a little 'p'
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9) When we/I do think about peace, I think it is often what I'm calling peace (with a little 'p'). (This distinction will hopefully be a little more clear when we get to Peace (big 'p') in a moment.) We seek peace in our homes. We try and get little kids to not fight (difficult), and parents not to loose their tempers with those little kids (more difficult). We seek peace in time of trial and doubt ("Come unto me . . . and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:30). This is right, and I don't want to take away from this peace that, hopefully, we can all find in our lives. But I wanted to really touch on the topic of . . .
Peace! (big 'p')
Maybe we're too jaded to want to talk about Peace, after decades of praying for World Peace. Maybe we've gone hoarse from saying "give peace a chance". Maybe we've just accepted that we are to live in a time of "wars and rumors of wars". The sooner Armageddon can get here, the sooner it is over and we can get to the Second Coming, right? I don't like that way of thinking, primarily because it gives me nothing to do but sit back and watch the world burn. But often, I think we look at references to the Savior as the "Prince of Peace" as something that can't happen until the millennium, when the lamb and the lion shall lie down together without any ire.
Instead of all that, I like to remember some other verses of scripture. We should have our "feet shot with the . . . gospel of peace" (Eph. 6:15) And if you need more feet scriptures, you can remember Roman 10:15: "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" The gospel that Paul and his buddies spent all their time spreading was - and is - a gospel of peace. The 4th-Nephites had "no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people . . . and surely there could not be a happier people who had been created by the hand of God" (4 Ne 1: 15,16)
I guess the problem with World Peace is that it seems to be too large for anyone to affect much on their own. But maybe if everyone thought a little bit more on peace, some of the bigger conflicts would take care of themselves. I wish we lived in a world where we felt it was a tragedy that we even needed a standing army. Instead, combat video games are some of the best selling titles. I wish camouflage was put on with the same reluctance as a hazmat suit. Perhaps with more focus on peace, we wouldn't send athletes into sports centered around inflicting pain, and brutally defeating opponents (boxing, and MMA, I'm looking at you).
All the best scriptures about peace seem to come from Isaiah, and I've got just two more for you. From Chapter 52, verse 7: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him the bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that sayeth unto Zion, Thy God reigneth." We are part of wards that form Stakes of Zion on the earth.
And finally, one of my favorite scriptures from Isaiah. While I know these last two are pretty specifically "last days" verses, I think the ideas expressed are beautiful, and I anxiously await their arrival. From Isaiah 2:4:
"And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
1 comment:
This has got to be one of the best blog posts I have read in a long, long while. I couldn't agree more!
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