A couple months back I went to visit a family whose young child I baptized about 4 years ago. He had been ill at the time and for medical reasons the family moved from Hespeler to the Toronto area. I was there for a couple meetings so I dropped in to see them and - Calvin - the young boy came into the room. When I saw him I was amused and amazed at how he was dressed.
Calvin's head was encased in a large space helmet. A cape is draped around his neck, across his shoulders, down his back and was dragging on the floor. One hand was holding a flashlight and the other a baseball bat.
"What's up today?" asks his mom. "Nothing, so far," answers Calvin. "So far?" she questions. "Well, you never know," Calvin says, "Something could happen today." Then Calvin marches off with as an if anything does, I'm going to be ready for it attitude! I thought to myself "I need a suit like that!"
That's the way many of us feel as we see the news and deal with life. Sometimes this world is a dangerous place. A suit like that would help, so we can say "Whatever may come my way, I'm going to be ready for it! Bring it on!" Well, I don't have a suit like that to give you, but the Gospel did have a word. Here is what the Gospel (John 14: 23-29) said - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. "
There is a defining phrase in that statement. One that tells us what kind of peace it is that Christ gives us. Listen to it again and see if you can pick it out: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." The defining phrase is: "Not as the world gives."
Do you see how that defines God's peace? The world promises peace through the rule of law. Law and order is the only way for a society and a people to experience peace and law and order must be kept by the aggressive use of force. That's the only way that the world can bring about peace.
But here is how Jesus will give you peace. If you obey His word He and the Father will come to you and make a home with you. Right in your heart. Not by force but by choice. They will abide in your heart bringing peace.
The world's peace is peace through strength.
The Lord's peace is peace through surrender...
So often in the dangerous moments of our life:
- the conflict with a co worker
- the crisis with a family member
- the chaos of our own lives
Our desire is to take it over - use force, strength - brut conviction! That will make it better and bring about Peace. But Christ remind us - it will be with His type of peace that the answer is found. For the Disciples of Jesus in the Gospel of today - faced with Christ’s pending Ascension - His departure from their midst
- He was saying - don’t try and kidnap me to keep me
- He was hinting - don’t begin forming your arguments that I should stay
- He was hedging - don’t grab on
Jump into the pool of peace, let yourself fall onto the path of peace, cloth yourself not with a space helmet, a flash light, a cape and a baseball bat - but choose my plan - walk in my peace.
My crystal ball broke yesterday but here is something I know about all of us this week - we are going to face a dangerous moment this week - because we do live in a dangerous world - that does not value the Gospel, does not respect the dignity of life, does not see Catholicism as relevant. It might be "Nothing, so far," but we must be ready
So let’s clothe ourselves in peace - not with a helmot, flash light, cape and baseball bat, but by keeping His word, living with trouble free hearts, being un afraid and by taking the first step and living free in the choice of peace !