Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be
called the children of God.
Matthew 5:9
It's been a sad week in America between Monday's Boston Marathon explosion and yesterday's explosion in Waco, Texas. I’ve been thinking a lot about peace. What does it mean
to be at peace? to live a peaceful life? and to live peacefully with others? There
are many directives in the bible about peace. We are to be peacemakers.
In many ways, I am not a peacemaker. I’m a
wavemaker, more like it. I write about things that others would like kept
quiet. I write critically about beliefs and practices that do not align with
scripture. And that doesn’t keep the peace.
But I really do want to live a peaceful life. I love
it when my children play cooperatively together (I almost always grab my camera
to record such blessed moments). I love teaching, especially when I get that
magical dynamic of students where everyone works cooperatively and enjoys
learning and helping their classmates. When I hear people yelling at each other (or –
and especially this – their young children), I will step in and ask if they
need help (which often redirects their anger toward me).
When I began this blog, in 2011, the description on
the header under “Does Air Exist?” was: “An insider’s look into the notorious
Followers of Christ in Oregon City.” About six months later, I changed it to
the quote you now see under my blog title. I did that for several reasons – the
biggest motivator was that I didn’t want my blog to be just a tell-all, but a
place where I could write about my journey as a Christian woman and the issues
that are important to me. Yes, the FOC was instrumental in my foundational
beliefs, but that’s not all I have to say. I don’t want to be their enemy. I
don’t want to argue with them. I don’t have it (peace) mastered; it’s a daily
struggle. But it’s a worthwhile and important journey.
Do you struggle with being at peace? How do you
maintain a peaceful life while dealing with very fallible people on a daily
basis?
