It happened again today. Someone robbed a store a knife point. Someone else pulled a gun and shot someone in
anger. Another used his fists to beat
his wife. Yet another used words to
degrade, demoralize, and control her child.
Over and over again people violate
others, hurting them by words and actions.
And after-the-fact, if the fact is known, people cry out, “Something
must be done!” But what?
We have laws regarding knives, guns,
theft, and violence. We have placed
rules around portrayals of these things in media, too, with a continuum of
ratings and “age appropriate” guidelines.
There are even cases in court regarding verbal abuse and intimidation. Yet, for all the rules, where is the peace
and safety they are intended to provide?
When Jesus wept over Jerusalem, He said,
“Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for
peace!” The fact of the matter is that
all the laws, rules, harangues, chastisements, intimidations and condescending
finger pointing cannot give us peace, because they cannot change our sinful
hearts. Sure, they might create guilt
that leads to a change in behavior for a while, but sin crouches at the door
seeking to master us. (Genesis
4:7)
So where does peace come from? St. Paul proclaims, “But now in Christ Jesus
you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He
Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh
the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed
in ordinances, that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two,
so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the
cross, thereby killing the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who
were far off and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have
access in one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:13-18) Peace is a gift from Jesus given through His
death and resurrection, and has everything to do with sin and forgiveness.
Father, give me peace in Christ, and help me
be a peacemaker by sharing Jesus’ forgiveness with others. Amen.
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