What is peace ? A story, found in the monthly newsletter sent by Zach, a realtor friend, suggests a wise answer.
“There was once a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of Peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really liked and he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, with peaceful, towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell and in which lightening flashed. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the King looked closer, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water and noise, sat the mother bird on her nest… in perfect peace.
Which pictures won the prize?
The King chose the second picture. “Because”, explained the King, “peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. This is the real meaning of peace. »
Last Sunday, third Sunday of Advent, I preached at our church as Irvin directed a rehearsal with the children for the Christmas program that will take place next Sunday. I opened with this story. The weeks of Advent and Christmas preparations are both a time of joy and stress for many families. Some in our church are desperately looking for a job. Others are worried for their health or the health of a loved one. The future of our church is also very uncertain. It is more than ever a time to focus on the peace “that surpasses all understanding” (Ephesians 4:7) that God provides.
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