Shalom – More Than Peace

In Amy Grant’s Christmas carol for our day and time, she says that all she needs is a silent night with peace and quiet in the midst of all the chaos and noise of the season. It only takes one night of pre-Black Friday shopping or a day of fighting the lingering crowds and traffic on Black Friday for all of us to recognize the validity of her wish. Here in the United States where the commercial side of Christmas has become a national pastime and an economic salvation, the thought of a time filled with peace and quiet is nearly a fantasy.

Regardless of what else was going on in the Roman Empire at the time, Christians chose to celebrate the birth of their Savior, the Divine Child, in the latter days of December. Little about the story in Luke 2 lends itself to this date, but lacking any other tradition with substantial support, December 25 is perhaps as good a date as any to mark the miraculous interruption of human history by the birth of a Child that was fully God and fully man.

The Bible is filled with titles for this God-man, one of the most explanatory being Emmanuel, “God with us”. Because of our rebellion against God’s plan for mankind, he saw we would never be good enough to match his standards. So he came to us to meet those standards for us. Leave it to a loving and compassionate God to complete the plan his creation could not.

In a world known more for its cruelty than its acts of kindness, more for its hatred than its love, more for its conflict than its peace, we need to stop and consider one of the titles of this Savior-Child, this Christ Child, was Prince of Peace. The prophet Isaiah shares this word from God,

Isa 9:6 A child is born to us! A son is given to us! And he will be our ruler. He will be called, "Wonderful Counselor," "Mighty God," "Eternal Father," "Prince of Peace."

That last one has been the most significant for me through the years. It pairs up well with the New Testament title for the Savior, the Good Shepherd. The other three titles in the prophecy of Isaiah carry their own unique sense of power and majesty. The role of a prince may also entail power, but this title combines the idea of power with the quality of peace. This is no prince noted for his use of war and violence.

The Hebrew word used in this title for the Prince of Peace is shalom, a term with which many are familiar as a greeting or farewell address. There is the sense of peace as we understand it in this title. It is also much more.

There is the force of completeness, of wholeness, and of wellness. The sense of peace this Prince will bring affects the total person. In this peace a person is at peace with the inner soul. The person is at peace with outer circumstances. The person knows a contentment which is independent of material and physical needs.

In the last hours he spent with his disciples, Jesus gave them a precious gift, peace. The gospel writer John records,

Joh 14:27 "Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.

This gift was not something to be earned by man, created by man, or demanded by man. It was a gift given by God to those who had surrendered their conflict and warfare to the Prince. In the same vein as the Hebrew shalom, the Greek eirene meant a total peace and contentment regardless of surrounding circumstances.

The Prince of Peace, Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, was born that man in conflict with God and himself would have the opportunity to know peace, deep peace, healing peace. Christmas is all about peace between God and man.

A Reason to Give Thanks

The Thanksgiving season (as opposed to the day) doesn’t get near enough emphasis. Its roots lie back in the early history of settlers coming to this continent. Presidents thought it an important enough idea to designate a special day for it each year. Frankly, it’s just good to stop and figure out what we have for which we ought to give thanks. Since a couple of weeks ago I wrote on taking time to stop, breathe, and remember what all these holidays are about, this week I am stopping long enough to record a list of what is so important in my life that it deserves gratitude.

Being a follower of Jesus Christ, without apology I give my gratitude first and foremost to my heavenly Father.

 “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning...” (James 1:17)

That will always begin my list of blessings. Before I can move into the mortal realm, there has to be the primacy of God the Son who freely chose to take the punishment for my personal rebellion against the plans of the Father. There is the gift of God the Spirit who dwells within my mind and enables me to strive to live in accordance with the plans God has for me.

The blessings of this life begin with relationships. My wife and two sons and now a daughter-in-law take my thoughts away from a self-centered focus and direct them toward individuals who have shown me it is truly more blessed to give than to receive.

I am thankful for the home that now no longer exists created by my parents who loved God and loved their two sons; who sacrificed much to give those two sons a hope for a future that would include greater opportunities than their own had contained.

In the mornings when I walk I sometimes use the moments to point out to God all the good things in my life instead of asking for more:

A body that is still strong enough and pain free so that I can walk; eyes to behold the beauty of the stars; ears to hear the haunting sound of the great horned owl and early rising mockingbird; hands and fingers that can feel the cold begin to seep through the gloves.

Gloves to keep my fingers and hands warm; multiple layers of clothes that make the early morning walk bearable; shoes that can keep out the cold from the frozen ground.

A house with a roof that does not leak and windows and doors that keep out rain, snow and wind; a warm bed from which to rise and a full refrigerator to which to return; photographs to remind of what has been and calendars and schedules to remind me, for the moment at least, I have an earthly future.

A car that runs well enough to take me to a job that pays well enough to cover the bills; a driveway in a grassy yard presently covered with leaves of many hues; stone walls bordering flower and herb beds that hold memories of past beauty and promises of future glory.

Friends and extended family scattered across the states; and a waiting spiritual home that will know no end.

Col 3:15  The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make; for it is to this peace that God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful.

Col 3:16  Christ's message in all its richness must live in your hearts. Teach and instruct one another with all wisdom. Sing psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing to God with thanksgiving in your hearts.

Col 3:17  Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through him to God the Father.

I am blessed. I have many reasons to be thankful throughout the year. May you be filled with gratitude in the knowledge God will meet your every need.

Rainbows and Roses

An acquaintance from long ago used to sign notes with the phrase ‘rainbows and watermelons’ followed by his name. The rainbows I could understand, but I never did get the concept of wishing someone watermelons.

Over the years I’ve thought about that closing and found ‘rainbows and roses’ more meaningful. I don’t mean to take anything away from my acquaintance. This phrase just means more to me.

Rainbows generally come with storms. I don’t wish anyone storms, but I do realize some beautiful things in life can only be seen when the turbulence hits. Some pine trees can only release seeds after their cones have gone through fire. Butterflies spread their wings only after going through the stress of breaking out of their cocoon. Rainbows most often occur when the storm clouds break and sunlight filters through.

Most roses have thorns. Some varieties have been developed which have no thorns, but who remembers those? In my personal garden five varieties share their colors every spring and summer. One type has quarter size blooms that open white and then turn to soft pink as they age. The thorns are small and mostly annoying. Another type of rosebush produces a bloom with broad petals of half dollar size, one bush bright red, the other snow white. Again their thorns are mostly a nuisance. In both cases the bushes are short and the blossoms, though pretty, have no fragrance. They simply add color and variety.

The other three provide a different experience. The peach rose sends out canes six and seven feet long. Each cane ends in a cluster of buds that open into four inch flowers. The yellow rose, though short and slow growing, produces a blossom even larger. The deep red rose will send up canes about three feet each topped with a single blossom that can be five inches across. In all three cases the fragrance is strong and mingles with the other flowers.

Did I mention that all three of the aromatic roses have thorns that can strip the flesh from your bones? No piddling sandpaper on these plants! They are man eaters. The deep red bush in particular with its fragrance that can be detected several feet away when it’s in full bloom can have thorns a half inch long or longer. You can enjoy their aroma and beauty up close, but extreme caution will be practiced by the wise.

I would rather not go through a strong thunderstorm, but the glory of a rainbow shining out against the dark clouds is a wonder no one should ever miss. Thorns can leave some nasty scars, but I can accept the potential pain as long as I have the opportunity to walk among roses in full bloom. In the midst of pain, beauty will win us over when our determination hesitates.

Roses still generally come with thorns. Rainbows usually come after storms. The resurrection of Jesus Christ could only come after the crucifixion. In a season of thanksgiving, we can be thankful that thorns have roses, storms bring about rainbows, and out of a Roman crucifixion there came a resurrection.

1Pe 1:3 Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope,

1Pe 1:4 and so we look forward to possessing the rich blessings that God keeps for his people. He keeps them for you in heaven, where they cannot decay or spoil or fade away.

These holidays make it easy to focus upon getting and giving material things. I will be working hard to remember the spiritual side. We can ignore this as most people will do, but we will lose something critical. The birth of a special Child, his life, his death, and the miracle that showed it had eternal significance makes for a reason to be thankful even when we get pricked by a thorn, have to endure a thunderstorm, or remember a cross that gave us life as He gave up His.

Rainbows and roses to all of you this season.

Take A Breath!

I’m sure you have heard the statement, “Come apart before you fall apart.” I perhaps have shared the importance of this concept more than once in this blog. It bears repeating. Rest is something the human body needs. Rest is something the mind needs. Rest is something the spirit needs. With the holidays stretching out before us, you, your mind, your body, and your spirit need time to rest.

It doesn’t take much thought to list the benefits of rest. Your body’s cells have a chance to clean out and renew. Tissue has a chance to repair before the next big push. The brain has a chance to cull through all its experiences and file the accumulation in the proper levels of consciousness. Rest gives the soul a chance to hear God.

Over the next several weeks each of us will be involved in making plans for how we will spend each of the coming holidays. We will plan dates on which action has to be taken. We will plan the action we will take. We will plan travel or how to receive those who will be traveling. We will plan what to eat, where to sleep, and even how much sleep we can expect to get.

We will go shopping. We will decide what we will buy, how much we will pay for it, and who will receive it. We will decide how we will give it to them and if we will see them when we do. We will buy food, clothing, jewelry, household items, tools, travel tickets, and gift cards, perhaps lots of gift cards! We will decide when to use credit cards and when to use cash and when we have spent enough and when we are done.

God wonders if we will continue until we collapse, until the money runs out, or simply when the calendar says we have run out of time. Somewhere along the line he hopes we will slow down enough to get the rest he intended for us mortals. At the same time we will have the opportunity to listen to him.

When God clarified his laws on Sabbath rest in Deuteronomy 5:13-14, he was emphasizing the need to build in a break from the routine of making a living or the accumulation of things. We need rest. Rest is so important God commanded that everyone take time for it, a full day every week.

Deu 5:13  You have six days in which to do your work,

Deu 5:14  but the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to me. On that day no one is to work---neither you, your children, your slaves, your animals, nor the foreigners who live in your country. Your slaves must rest just as you do.

The Gospel of Mark records Jesus saw the need for his disciples to find a place and time to rest especially in the midst of high emotion and conflicting expectations.

Mar 6:31  There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his disciples didn't even have time to eat. So he said to them, "Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest a while."

The wonder of these holidays cannot be enjoyed through the memories of others. Our own experiences must be a critical part of this time of year. If our memories are to be more than those of fighting shopping lines, standing in the kitchen baking, screaming at kids to leave things alone, and checking visitation schedules, then we must schedule a time to stop.

Take time in this season to sit and write a list of the good things in your life. Include the material things and those blessings found in relationships. Take time to see colors around you. Some will be in nature and some will be manmade. Take time to listen to sounds. Some will be natural. Others will be manmade. Some sounds will be uniquely human voices.

Take time to listen to God and in turn speak to him. He’s been waiting for this opportunity all year.