Reflections by the Pond
September 17, 2003

A Quiet Night

I have sat motionless on a flimsy folding chair in the deathly stillness of a desert night--a darkness without sound or sign of life, an oppressive cloak of a rushing, pounding, black void.

I have sat out on our deck on a low stool, saying good night to Angel in the gentle cool of a summer's eve. There is no sound but the musical chirp of a cricket chorus, and a few loitering frogs gathered down by the pond.

Both nights--the one in the desert, and the one in the woods--contain the rare quiet of nature, but only one contains its peace. Both nights stand in marked contrast to the shrill cacophony of city life, that rhythmic percussion which for so many has become the norm, but only one brings a comfortable calm to the soul.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 niv

The world's peace (so inaccurately termed) is cold and brittle, a fleeting wisp of ephemera profound today, but found missing the next. It has an inviting, tantalizingly sweet taste devoid of any nutrition. It seems good and right; it is popular, and is easily advertised. But the peace offered by the world is only a thin shiny veneer glued over the rusting hulk of desperation and despair. It is false. It is deception.

God's peace--the peace available to every believer through Christ--is (in marked contrast to the "peace" of the world), substantial. It is real. It has heft. It is so real that within itself, relying on nothing else, it holds the power to transform, to renew. God's peace answers questions not yet asked; it finds what has not yet been reported lost. It heals.

The peace offered by the world is only, at best, skin deep. It skims across the surface of a life, nipping and tweaking here and there: coaxing, teasing, grinning like an idiot at substantial things. And then, like an elfin sprite, it dances away, laughing at us from just beyond our reach, chuckling to itself over the ease with which it just fooled us. The world gives, then takes away, enjoying the joke.

God's peace digs into a life (which, of course, is why so many fear it). It has staying power. Though we do not always put it to use, it is never beyond our reach. God's peace never laughs at us, never makes fun of our weakness and insecurities, but offers a tangible solace appropriate and meaningful to every situation. Unlike the sappy, cloying, sometimes oppressive cloak offered by this world, God's peace is a welcome, comforting wrap that both shields and invigorates.

It is real.

It is God.

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." John 14:27 nasbu