It has been a week of frustrations. The sources of my frustration are often beyond my control, but that just adds to my frustration. The fall of the steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine was inevitable but still, deeply disturbing. The Archbishop of San Francisco’s pronouncement effectively excommunicating House Speaker Pelosi was another troubling incident. And on top of these two high profile events, the election office in my home county, which I sometimes refer to as ‘Clackistan,’ bungled our primary election. We may not know all the results until June! Makes me want to scream, and yet, I can’t do anything about it anymore than I can do anything about the war in Ukraine, or church and state political maneuvering.
Several days a week I watch my youngest grandson after school. He is the son of my oldest daughter and was born two months early in a traumatic birth that nearly took my daughter’s life as well. He spent two months in a neonatal intensive care unit hooked up to so much equipment we could hardly see him. It took my daughter months to fully recover her health as well. Now he is seven years old and perfect in every way; intelligent, and curious and agile. He is a gift, as is my daughter.
Friday afternoon I took a long after-school walk with my grandson. We went to Spring Park which is down by the Willamette River about fifteen-minutes from my house. I find it to be a very peaceful place. Not too many years back when there was a big winter storm, the park was devastated; trees down, paths washed out, habitat destroyed. I was one of the many local volunteers who went into the park to help remove debris, replant, rebuild pathways, and generally restore habitat. The park is lovely now, peaceful, full of songbirds, and lush growth. My grandson and I enjoyed our visit. He had a wonderful time exploring and I was able to breath in the peacefulness that comes from the natural world – the world that God created.
In this weekend’s Gospel, John 14:23-29, Jesus spends a lot of time trying to reassure his disciples that everything will be okay in spite of the fact that he will not be with them in the flesh. It is important to remember that this Gospel was written at least 60 years after Jesus’ death, so the long speeches made by Jesus reveal the understandings that his followers gained over time. The message is that they are loved, and if they love Jesus, they will abide by his teachings, and even more importantly, God will send the helper, the Holy Spirit to continue to teach them and remind them of all that Jesus said and did. For this reason, they are not to be afraid. They are to be at peace with the peace that is given to them by Jesus, a peace that is not like the peace of this world.
The peace that comes from God, which flows to us from the Holy Spirit, is unlike the peace of this world because it is peace that grows from following the teachings of Jesus. It is peace that springs from justice, a harmony between people and the created world that reflects right relationships. In contrast, the peace of this world reflects the Pax Romana of the empire that the disciples lived in and which we still experience today. It is a peace enforced by law or military might, where opposition is suppressed, and injustice hidden from view. It is a peace that comes from the visible absence of war, except that peace is not simply the absence of war or dissent. Peace is something much larger, and certainly more complex. It requires rooting out injustice in society, in the church, between nations, and in relationship to the created world.
Stopping violence with more violence is not the way to the peace that comes from God and yet over and over again human brings seem to fall into the same pattern. Cracking down on dissent, arresting protestors or imprisoning soldiers, may temporarily halt resistance, but it does nothing to address the injustice that has fueled the conflict. That injustice will continue to smolder until it breaks out into open conflict once again. Maybe it will take months or years, but still, injustice will smolder preventing true peace.
Making it illegal to terminate a pregnancy might seem like it will bring about the peaceful kingdom that comes from God, but that is unlikely. At the moment it seems that God has been replaced by science since our culture is terribly uneasy with concepts veiled in mystery and uncertainty. The possibility of life beginning at conception is validated by science but to say it definitely exists at that moment is to disregard a lot of other science. (Like the fact that a woman can shed many fertilized eggs while only one or two may or may not result in life). To say that abortion should be legal at any stage of pregnancy is to defy the reality that babies can be born weeks, or months, before their due date, survive, and thrive like my grandson. It is possible to continue reducing the number of unnecessary abortions by building a world that respects women and ensures the dignity, and wellbeing of everyone – but there will always be pregnancies that must be ended for the sake of the woman. This is more complicated than a law that allows for all or none. Either way imposes a false peace by force, which is a potent form of violence.
Jesus told his disciples that God would send an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to teach them everything and remind them of his teachings. The Advocate is here even though at this time of year we often wait until Pentecost to recognize the Spirit present with us. The Holy Spirit, not science, is our guide, although science can be helpful.
In order to manage the frustrations that are present in my life I find myself returning to creation, taking deep breaths of the spirit that moves through the world and, I believe, lives within the hearts of faithful people. I quiet my heart and mind and allow the Spirit to calm me. I remember that faith takes courage, especially when facing people who sincerely believe that they have the only truth and are ordained to impose it on others. Faith is the opposite of certainty. Faith accepts possibility, mystery, and the cloud of unknowing that surrounds us in our lives. Faith says I might be wrong, or you might be wrong, so we must respect each other and allow room for us both.
The civilization that we live in has potential and holds possibilities, but it is not the kingdom of God. Human beings have been gifted with intelligence and the desire to learn but we do not know everything. In each generation there are truths from the past that are refuted or adjusted. We used to believe the Sun traveled around the Earth and people were excommunicated for believing otherwise. We used to believe that babies were planted by men into wombs, like seeds into the soil. We used to believe that we could justify war with God on our side. Someday we will stop making and profiting on weapons of war. Someday women will be fully respected. Someday people will look back and shake their heads.
May the peace of God give you courage to change what you can and accept what you can’t.
Looking forward to reading more of your reflections. Peace be with you!