The struggle for peace

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." -- John 14:27.

THE imminent war between the United States and Iraq has created anxiety and fear across the globe. The stock markets in Asia witnessed a significant drop in the indices and emails are circulating round the world seeking endorsements that plead for peace.


Our anxiety, tension and uncertainty are also not helped by the stark reality of possible terrorist attacks. One wonders whether there will be peace on earth in the future and the task of attaining peace is simply mission impossible. How can we as Christians respond to different life situations? Should we dwell in a state of despair? Besides offering important prayers for peace, how can Christians attain the peace that Jesus promises which in turn gives us courage?


Despair and desperation are parts of a dark journey when one experiences loss and regards the brevity of life as an intolerable torment. Self-dejection sets in and one finds that the harshness of the environment will take its toil that leads to admission that everything is one's own fault.


Remorse and self-reproach deprive us of the pleasures of success and achievement, but at the same time prevent us from discovering the root of despair lies within ourselves and not outside the confines of the self.


In the titanic struggle for peace, despair could be the development of a great human pride that accepts damnation rather than happiness from God. This reflects a rejection of God who is in control of our human destiny.


Insecurity and a dented pride sometimes dominate our Christian life that we fail to continue the journey towards the Almighty. It is this journey which will bring lasting peace that begins in the heart of the believer.


What Jesus offers is an inner peace that does not demand one to admit defeat or retreat into self-pity. His peace offers us the real security that does not depend on weapons or successes. Our responses to people and situations must flow from the divine love in us. Jesus provides us with a vision of peace that invites one to "proclaim truth and justice with a peacefulness that never retaliated or became defensive" (Paul, Feider, "The Journey to Inner Peace", 94). Ultimately, this vision assures us that divine love for us is eternal. The peace that Jesus offers is one that the world cannot give or fully understand.


But receiving the peace that our Lord offers does not mean that Christians are free from the problems of this world. No doubt peace and serenity belong to the essence of Christianity and yet, the God of infinite calm and rest is also one who stands by His suffering creatures (Psalm 34:18). In our darkest moments, God calls out to us to cast our anxiety upon Him (1 Peter 5:7). Our journey towards the Almighty is a never-ending advance into His inexhaustible mystery.


This journey requires Christians to know God in every situation in life. Knowing God means that one needs to be immersed in divine presence.

In reality, the meaning of immersion is to live life with the knowledge that God is always ahead of us. Any planning, decision-making and action must be done with the acknowledgement that God has a firm grip on our entire life.

However, this does not mean that the church or individual Christian must be activity-oriented in seeking this knowledge of God. Neither does it imply that one should ignore activity and remain in contemplation. Our reading of the Bible and prayers are part of the spiritual discipline that sensitise us to the daily demands and this in turn deepens our knowledge of God. Our struggle for peace is never done in an imaginary world. No matter how downtrodden we feel concerning our situation and the absence of God, we must recognise that our recourse in prayer is a sign of an inward and spiritual grace. Paul Tillich rightly maintained that "the Spiritual Presence cannot be received without a sacramental element, however hidden the latter might be" ("Systematic Theology", vol. III, 130).


Struggling in insecurity and fear are part of the Christian's journey to inner peace. Paul Feider reminds us that "the realisation that the Lord walks alongside us through life, and even carries us at times, is truly a powerful gift" ("The Journey to Inner Peace", 100).


The peace that Jesus offers us is based upon His presence with us throughout the journey. It may take a longer time for some of us to recognise this gift of divine presence in our lives. But the assurance that He is waiting for us in His Kingdom would shine through in our lives. We find rest in God through the struggle for peace that draws us into a union with Him, the participation in the divine life that is best summarised in the words of Charles Wesley:

The promise stands forever sure,
And we shall in thine image shine,
Partakers of a nature pure,
Holy, angelical, divine;
In spirit joined to thee the Son,
As thou art with thy Father one.

-- Teresa Berger, Theology in Hymns, 151.



Chan Yew Ming is the Research Adviser at Trinity Theological College. He is a member of Fairfield Methodist Church.