Personal Views on Peace

I'm concluding this short series on "peace" with some of my personal views on the subject. I suppose I have already indicated that by my previous blogs, but I want to be a bit more specific about that in this one.

The bottom line for me is the traditional Anabaptist view expressed in the four-word statement, "Follow Christ in life." For me that is the sum and total of what it means to be a Christian, and specifically, to be a person of peace.

I recall when I was a lad of about 10 years, which puts the calendar during the second world war, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. My brother was working at a local manufacturing plant as a welder, making tanks for gas and oil trucks. After the war started the U.S. Navy came and converted that manufacturing plant into a plant to produce large, steel flotation balls to be used in the war. This put my brother and others like him in a position of having to contribute to a war they didn't want to participate in in any way, a position he made known to his employers. As a result, one day after work, he found his bicycle covered with yellow paint. During this time our church building was also painted with yellow swastikas.

I still recall these incidents quite vividly. Even though I was only a young lad, I was identified with the COs (conscientious objectors) and called name such as "yellow belly," "chicken," "traitor," and "CO." I was intimidated and afraid to go to school at times. I often wondered why our church and our people took that stand, but as the war went on and I heard much more about what it meant to be a CO I too came to believe that war, and killing of any kind, was wrong for a Christian.

Of course those early childhood experiences had a lot of bearing on what my belief system included as far as being a person of peace was concerned. But I also learned in life that it includes much more than "not going to war." For me following Christ in life has come to mean simply following the way of Jesus when facing times of personal testing and opposition from other people.

One of my concerns for all of God's people today is that perhaps we have forgotten that our main responsibility and loyalty is to Jesus and His kingdom. It is easy to get caught up in the nationalism and patriotism of our day and our society and lose the focus we need to have on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. At least that's the way it has been for me. I found that I needed to work through on a personal level what the bottom line was for me in my faith walk. That old Anabaptist line, "follow Christ in life," was what finally grabbed me and caused me to understand that Jesus meant it when he said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23. It sounds so simple, but in reality it isn't that easy. It takes a lot of commitment and determination to "stay the course" when life brings difficult situations our way.

Anyway, I could say much more on this subject, but that will suffice for the here and now. I trust that perhaps my sharing of these few blogs has created in someone a desire to know Jesus better and to follow Him more closely in your life. I remain -

Pilgrim on the way

Jesus on Peace

Jesus had much to say about "peace." His teachings on this subject were not limited to the Sermon on the Mount, but that is where we find the most concentrated discussions about peace.

I want to note several passages from the Sermon on the Mount and some from other passages as Jesus' teachings on peace. These words are often referred to as the "hard sayings of Jesus," because they are just that, teachings that are often difficult for us to understand, and even more, to put into practice.

WDJS - What did Jesus say?

Matthew 5:6 - "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called (children) of God."

Matthew 5:11,12 - "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. . . ."

Matthew 5:38,39 - "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Matthew 5:43-45 - "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be (children) of your Father in heaven. . . ."

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

John 18:36 - "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Luke 23:34 - "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

These words are indeed quite compelling and prove to be quite difficult to live out in life as well. They speak of our relationship with each other, and with God. They speak only briefly about how to relate to those who would do us harm. What one is to do with these words of Jesus is up to each reader, and follower of Jesus. However, we are prompted to follow the example of Jesus by those who wrote the epistles, passages that enlarge on the Christian faith and lay the groundwork for all Christians to build their faith upon. Note some of these words of the Apostle Peter, as he answers the question, WDJD, What did Jesus do?

1 Peter 2:21-23 - "To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.' When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him Who judges justly."

Obeying the hard teachings of Jesus and following the example He has left us is no small task. It is my perception that the teachings Jesus gave to His followers were not meant for some far off millennium unforeseen by either Jesus or His followers. They perceived that it was meant for them. And that is how I now perceive His teachings to be - for me, for us, to hear and obey to the best of our knowledge and ability. That's why I remain -

Pilgrim on the way

Menno on Peace

I want to share just a couple of quotations from Menno Simons on the subject of "peace." Menno had a lot to say about a lot of subjects and what I share here is only a brief glimpse of his total view on this subject.

Just a warning if you've never read Menno Simons -- he doesn't always use the best terminology to say what he wants to say, at least from a more "refined" perspective. At times he was rather blunt, to say the least. You can judge what I've included here for yourself.

I'm quoting Menno because he, of course, was supposedly the founder of the church to which I belong, the Mennonite Church. Menno's followers were called Mennoites at first, but to make it easier to pronounce, it was changed to Mennonites. Or so I have been told. So, I will leave you with Menno and with the following quotations this post will conclude.

• "The regenerated do not go to war, nor engage in strife. They are children of peace who have 'beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning forks, and know no war' (Isaiah 2:4, Micah 4:3). ... Our weapons are not weapons with which cities and countries may be destroyed, walls and gates broken down, and human blood shed in torrents like water. But they are weapons with which the spiritual kingdom of the devil is destroyed. ... Christ is our fortress; patience our weapon of defense; the Word of God our sword. ... Iron and metal spears and swords we leave to those who, alas, regard human blood and swine’s blood of well-nigh equal value."

• "We who were formerly no people at all, and who knew of no peace, are now called to be ... a church ... of peace. True Christians do not know vengeance. They are the children of peace. Their hearts overflow with peace. Their mouths speak peace, and they walk in the way of peace."

"True evangelical faith cannot lie dormant. It clothes the naked, it feeds the hungry, it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute, it serves those that harm it, it binds up that which is wounded, it has become all things to all people."

So be it -- I remain

Pilgrim on the way

The Peaceable Kingdom

This week I'm looking again at the subject of "peace," peace as referenced in Hebrew as "shalom." It is the peace that involves our relationship with God and with other human beings wherever we meet them. It is a way of life taught and lived by Jesus when he lived among us.

The painting here was done by a Quaker named Edward Hicks. He actually painted many different versions of the peaceable kingdom, but this particular one is the one that most people like best.

This painting, and the concept of a peaceable kingdom, is taken from the writings of Isaiah, who gave us perhaps the closest picture of what the Messiah, the Christ, would be like when he came. It was Isaiah to whom Jesus referred the most when he quoted the Old Testament to point out His mission.

The biblical text for the peaceable kingdom is found is Isaiah 11:6-9: "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child will put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."(NIV)

Interpreting this text and finding applications for its meaning have always resulted in differences of opinion. When was the time to come that the prophet spoke of? Reading the verses preceding the above quotation gives one a picture of what the coming Messiah was to be like. Perhaps one could find some clues there as to when this vision would become reality.

We have in our home many visible reminders of the peaceable kingdom. About 10 years ago or so Clara finished an applique about three feet square which hangs on our living room wall. Atop our entertainment center we currently have six small porcelain or metal figures of the lion and lamb together. Granted, in the biblical text it is the wolf and lamb that are pictured together, but the long-standing concept is lion and lamb, so that's what we use. (There may be other reasons the lion and lamb are used together). Also on the wall we have two pictures of the lion/lamb combination.

We happen to believe that the time for fulfillment is now rather than later. We as God's people are to live lives of peace with all other people, regardless of their belief system, color, race, political orientation, or whatever. This belief system is based solely on the life and teachings of Jesus, Who has told us that if we want to be His disciples we must follow Him, even to the cross. The acrostic, WWJD, "what would Jesus do?" is often used when seeking to solve a question about how to conduct our lives. I rather prefer to use, WDJD, "what did Jesus do?" Looking for answers to how to live peaceful lives in a troubled, often violent world, comes best for me by looking anew at what Jesus said, and how He Himself lived.

How I long for more expressions of the peaceable kingdom in our world! We can catch a glimpse of that once in awhile, and it is truly amazing to see in real life. How wonderful it will be when it comes in its full expression! I have often failed to meet even my own expectations of how to live out the principles of the peaceable kingdom, let alone God's. But I continue to press on toward that goal.

I hope to write yet this week more specifically on Jesus and Peace, and perhaps on Menno and Peace. Until then I'm just

Pilgrim on the way

Sunday Times - Fifth Edition

The month of June has been designated as Peace Month. This blog is my "Ode to Peace," written by Laurie Oswald Robinson. The Biblical Text for this writing is Acts 10:24-48.
The title is "Lord of all."




"In this time of war, your creatures
declare you God of only their nation.
The 'chosen ones,' they send bombs
to fortify oil rights and to secure borders.
They profile those who do not look like them
as terrorists and as those 'unclean.'
Those who die in these devastations
are children and innocents,
whose mangled bodies and spilled blood
cry out to the Lord of all--have mercy
on this merciless killing."

Eons ago, your vision hits Peter
like a bombshell: he is to befriend the 'unclean,'
the Gentiles who are not safe or acceptable.
But the wreckage left by the vision's voice
brings Peter to his knees before an impartial God,
a God who though not punitive is to be feared
as the only One in the universe who dares
to speak peace in a time of war;
the only One who shows mercy
in the wreckage of mercilessness.

Today, Peter's story hits us unaware
like bombs shot between Lebanese and Israelis
because of bad blood and hostages held;
and like U.S. tanks gunning through Iraqi desert,
searching for ghosts of rumors that
weapons of mass destruction may exist.
In the midst of these ghost-like howls,
we hear a clear voice proclaiming:
'Jesus heals all who are oppressed."

That means me and you and
enemies and strangers in the Middle East--
all of us who cry for mercy
in this time of merciless war."

Reprinted by permission from Now It Springs Up by Carol Duerksen, Michele Hershberger, and Laurie Oswald Robinson. Published by WillowSpring Downs, email willowspringdowns@juno.com


Pilgrim on the way

The Psychology of Time

I recently heard someone waxing eloquently on "The Psychology of Time" and I decided to make some comments on that subject here. I'm not a psychologist, like some of my relatives, but I do understand a bit about "time." That's what I want to comment about here.

For me time is a relative thing. Perhaps that's what the speaker meant as he spoke about sporting events on the west coast being watched by fans on the east coast, and the frustration that brings because of the time difference. But at least it made me think a bit about "time."

The speaker referred to one's comparison of periods of time, such as an hour spent in a doctor's office compared to an hour spent doing something more enjoyable. I thought of the time spent waiting on a train at a crossing, perhaps 3 minutes or so, and how it seems much longer than that most times. Or perhaps comparing an hour driving on the interstate compared to an hour visiting with family after you get there. It's all relative for me.

From the Biblical perspective, time is also relative, especially when we compare time as we view it with time as God sees it. For instance, it says in 1 Peter 3:8, "For with the Lord a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day." From that reference point, its only been a couple of days since Jesus ascended into heaven. And a word we often use that has an open ended time reference is "soon." God's view of this word is recorded in Revelation 22:20 when Jesus is quoted as saying, "Yes, I am coming soon." How soon in soon in this reference? Two thousand years, or however long, doesn't seem like "soon" to me, but to God "soon" may mean much more than we think.

I can remember when I thought it was a "waste of time" to take a nap after lunch. One's perspective of what "waste of time" means is conditioned by one's schedule and responsibilities. When one doesn't have much of a schedule or not many responsibilities "waste of time" takes on a different meaning than when the opposite is true. Other phrases ofter used that refer to the passing of time are "kill time" and "buy a little time." Actually one can do neither of those - we just think we can for some reason.

Well, I don't know if the "Cool School Psychologist" would consider these ramblings a conversation about the "psychology of time" or not. Perhaps she might comment on that. I know one thing, call it what you want, time is relevant - relevant to what one is doing or what one's outlook is on time. I recall on one occasion when I was a supervisor in a manufacturing plant that one of the employees under my supervision was "wasting time" riding around on the fork lift. When I confronted him about that he said, "I'm in no hurry, I'm getting paid by the hour." This man's idea of what to do with his time eventually cost him his job.

What is your view of time? Perhaps you will say that this post was a waste of your time when you read it. Perhaps it will cause you to think about how you use the time God has given you. Another phrase often used is "time is of the essence." As I have grown older, I think more and more that my time here on this earth grows shorter as each day comes and goes. That makes time precious for me. And so I continue as -

Pilgrim on the way

Our Home

We like our home, very much thank you. We feel that this is where the Lord has led us for this time in our lives. Our duplex apartment is just the right size and we like the location. It was practically new when we moved in almost four years ago, having been renovated from top to bottom, literally.

This year it seems especially nice to me. After what seemed like a long winter we have a number of blooming flowers to brighten both the front and back. Last fall the maintenance people tore up our lawn and reseeded it, and it has turned into a very nice lawn all around.
We like our patio in back. We have a small lighthouse and a dutch windmill, as well as two adirondack chairs, and a small table all which I have made, several pots of flowers and some planted ones, including three wonderful rose bushes, all blooming very nicely, all which make for a nice place to sit, watch people, drink coffee, visit with friends, etc.

On the larger home front we live in a place with lots of trees, which include many varieties. In the front of our house we have a chinese date tree which bears its fruit in abundance each fall. There's a large walnut tree nearby that seems to be tired of producing walnuts, but which still does on occasion. A large tree in back provides shade on those bright sunny summer mornings.

We live very near to the rear of the main building of the Villa, which allows us easy access which we use frequently. We enjoy interacting with the residents all around us, and many times with those in assisted living or health care.

Across the street is the Dyck Arboretum where we like to go to walk, or ride the scooter, around the 1/2 mile track. The picture on the right was taken in the fall. This time of year it is a beautiful place with many, many kinds of blooming flowers and trees, and so many kinds of natural grasses growing as well. There are often ducks and/or geese on the pond, and many, many fish and turtles. Fishing is off limits in this pond so they grow profusely.

More could be said but perhaps this is enough to say again, we like our home! We are here where we are assured a place to live for the rest of our lives, and have access to any kind of physical care we need. What more could one ask for? God is indeed good, and He has blessed us beyond our fondest expectations. Our goal is to live for His praise and glory as long as He gives us breath.

Pilgrim on the way