Looking for Peace: Krikor’s Reflections – Oct/Nov 2012
Looking for Peace
Friday September 21st marked the 30th anniversary of the International Day of Peace. All around the world, events, speeches, rallies, concerts and celebrations took place to mark Peace Day and called on both governments and individuals to strive towards lasting and sustainable peace that we desperately need now. On the home page of the official website of International Day of Peace, we find the following question: Do you believe peace is possible? And the answer: We do. Regardless of what is happening in the world, in conflict zones local people are building peace. They are stopping violence, saving lives, healing their own communities. There are many examples.
Over the past two years in East Congo, peace builders have convinced 4,532 fighters to put down their guns. In the turbulent mountain region between Pakistan and Afghanistan, a 23-year-old peace builder has founded a network of peace advocates. And in Sudan, a local peace building organization deploys peace committees to prevent and resolve conflicts, 70 of them in 2011.
We live in a world that desperately needs peace. Regardless of the natural beauty of the creation and the amazing appearance, our world is in turmoil, causing chaotic situations in different parts of the world. We are familiar with tension, revulsion, animosity, stress, anxiety, war and clearly we see the lack of peace in the world, which is the result of our differences, dislikes, hate, hostility, selfishness, arrogance, pride and egotism.
If we look around us we see war, destruction, killings and violence, some as a result of racism, extremism and fanaticism. As a result of this, most people are disconnected from peace on a daily basis. The lack of peace could be due to conflict and losing peace with others; stress and losing peace with self, and losing peace with God. But there is good news; God has an answer to this, because He is the God of Love and peace who desires to come into the broken lives of humanity and give peace that surpasses all understanding.
A perfect model for this can be found in the book of Philemon that is a personal letter from Paul. This single-chapter epistle offers a model for how to find peace with others, peace with self, and peace with God.
In New Testament times one of the widespread main features of life in the Roman Empire was slavery. In the letter we meet the fugitive slave Onesimus (the name Onesimus meaning “useful”) who had stolen from his master Philemon and fled to Rome. In Rome he met Paul and his life is totally changed and he became Christ-follower and servant to the Apostle. Having done wrong to his master he was “useless” but now he was changed, transformed and he could be accepted as useful brother and not a slave. Paul sent the runaway slave back to the master with a letter encouraging reconciliation between these two Christians and working together in peace. This appeal was totally contrary with what the acceptable norm was of rejection and condemning to kill.
How stunned and surprised Philemon must have been when Onesimus walked through the door and even more surprised when he handed his master the letter from Paul. The punishment within the Roman Empire for runaway slaves was certain death. And the suggestion of Paul was to establish peace, accepting the slave as a brother.
This one chapter models peace with the self, peace with the others and the peace with God. Paul asks for Philemon’s consent to accept the runaway slave as a brother and what he owes to put on his account. This also suggests that Onesimus should be ready for full cooperation and commitment to restore and to make peace with Philemon, trusting God for the outcome.
We need to understand God’s perspective to secure peace in a tense world, trust God’s purposes, surrender to God’s will, focus on God’s presence and ask for God’s peace. Paul writes in Philippians:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6-7)
Anxiety often steals our peace. The word, “anxious” means, “restless,” or “fearful.” Some of us start worrying the minute we wake up. The solution to worry and anxiety is, quite simply, prayer. The Bible says: “Do not be anxious about anything, pray about everything.”
It is during our time of prayer when God will provide that peace to our troubled hearts. As we are praying, the burden will be lifted and the fear and stress will be released. We will not have the peace we are looking for if we do not ask for it ardently. Peace is ours if we ask and believe that it is possible to have.
Reverend Krikor Youmshajekian