Let Peace Begin With Me

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21)

“Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14)

From the October 20^th killing of one of our own Gwinnett County Police Department officers, to last week’s mail-delivery of pipe bombs around the country, to the 11 victims slain this past Saturday at a Pittsburgh synagogue, the recent news has yet again been filled with stories of hatred and violence.

If you were at worship yesterday, you heard me condemn these senseless acts, and stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in prayer against the continued prejudice and violence of our world.  As followers of Christ, there is simply no room in either our words or our behaviors for anti-Semitism or other forms of bigotry, racism, or prejudice -- anything to the contrary clearly demonstrates a lack of understanding of the true ways and teachings of Jesus found in the Bible.  In his care for and ministry with Samaritans, “ladies of the night,” lepers, and even Gentiles, Jesus reached beyond the established racial and social customs of the day and sought to love everyone.  As his followers, we are called to do the same.

And yet, even if we know and understand this call, the love and peace of Christ is nevertheless sometimes elusive because there are forces within ourselves that are, at times, vying to be heard. For example, the biblical story of Pilate asking the crowd to choose between releasing either Barabbas or Jesus metaphorically also asks them to choose between the way of violence and hate (represented by Barabbas), and the way of love and compassion (represented by Jesus).  Read this story in Matthew 27:15-23, Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:18-25, and John 18:39-40. In many ways, this choice haunts us today, and challenges each of us to ask ourselves, “What part am I playing in enabling peace and love to win out over prejudice, violence, and hate?”

The plot of the 1986 movie The Mission highlights this choice between choosing the way of love or choosing the way of violence, and how – just as with Jesus – too often we choose the latter.  The very last scene of the movie shows a 18^th-century religious leader in Paraguay who had ordered the removal of missionaries by force questioning those who carried it out about why they felt that the brutality and slaughter that was used was necessary.  One of them replies, “You had no alternative, your Eminence. We work in the world, and the world is thus.”  The religious leader replies, “No, Señor Hontes. Thus have we made the world….  Thus have I made it.”

So, before we go around complaining about what someone else is not doing to bring peace and understanding, we need to first look deep inside ourselves and ask what we are doing to help foster them, and to make sure our words and/or actions are not the inadvertent cause of strife, prejudice and hatred.  The words of a famous hymn say it well:

“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me;

 Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.

 With God our creator, children all are we.

 Let us walk with each other in perfect harmony.

 Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now.

 With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow:

 To take each moment and live each moment

            in peace eternally.

 Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

            [--Words by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson (1955), 

                    cited from the United Methodist Hymnal #431]

May this be our prayer as we struggle in our world to choose the ways of Jesus (the “prince of peace”).  Always remember that God loves you and I do, too!

NOTE: Find more resources for confronting and responding to violence HERE, and a response from the UMC Bishop of the Western Pennsylvania Conference in light of the synagogue shooting HERE.

Rice to Diamonds

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,and with all your soul, and with all your strength,and with all your mind.” (Luke 10:27)

A long time ago, a beggar had begged for rice and had gone to the city gates to cook a meal of it. While he was making the fire, he heard a caravan coming.  He quickly moved towards the travelers.  “Alms, alms!” he cried, and more loudly when he saw that it was the prince. The prince said to the beggar, “What have you to give me for the alms I might give to you?” The beggar fingered his 25-30 grains of rice and offered three grains to the prince.  The prince took the three grains of rice and held them for a moment.  Then he took the beggar’s hand, carefully laid the three grains of rice in the moist palm, and folded the beggar’s fingers over them. He left the beggar and entered the city.  As the beggar walked back, he opened his hand.  To his surprise and amazement, there lay three brilliant diamonds.  He gasped and then wept, “If only I had give all! If only I had given all!”

Quite often, God asks of us as Christians, “What will you give?” In response, we too often give Him the money we think we can spare, the abilities that we can easily give, and the “left overs” of our time that we don’t really need anyway.  Yet, God wants and invites us to make Him our priority, giving generously of our time, talents and money out of a grateful and cheerful heart.  After all, the Bible teaches that the person who can share generously with others will discover and know life’s true riches (Read 1 Timothy 6:18-19, and 2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

This month during our annual stewardship journey, we’re all invited to consider how we can grow in our generosity towards others as we celebrate God’s generosity to us. This theme of “Climbing Higher: Taking the Next Step in our Life with God” will be a time for us all to focus on individual and collective progress along our spiritual journeys of faith:  to prayerfully consider growing as God leads towards greater levels of faith by becoming either a first-time giver, intentional giver, growing giver, a tither, or perhaps even an extravagant giver; and to prayerfully ask ourselves “Lord, where do you want me to be in my giving?”

Each Sunday in October, you’ll hear inspiring and creative ways that our theme impacts us in daily life, and be lovingly challenged to consider how to grow your faith through these.  Then, on October 28^th (“Celebration Sunday”), each of us will be invited to share our response to God based on His love and grace towards us. Through our commitments of time, talent and money through God’s church, not only will we be “climbing higher” in our love for Him, but will also be surprised to discover “diamonds” of blessing from God in our personal lives, as well.

So, I challenge us each of us to prayerfully consider becoming more generous in our “grains” of response to God through His church for 2019!  Remember that God loves you and I do, too!