In times of difficulty there seems to be great volume of wisdom to which we can turn. In the 1960’s Paul McCartney of the Beatles wrote that in times of trouble we should “Let it Be.” It made a great song and letting some things be is certainly wise. As they say “let sleeping dogs lie.” But most of life has to be dealt with even if it is unpleasant. So in times of trouble I prefer the wisdom of three men who have faced and suffered greater trials than I ever hope to endure. The first is the 20th century Christian martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the second is St. Paul the apostle and first century Christian martyr, and the third is no less than our Lord Jesus the Christ.
While Bonhoeffer waited out his last years of life in a NAZI prison, he had the strength and courage to continue being part of the German resistance and even participated in the planning of an attempted assignation of Hitler. The result was his untimely death just months before the end of the war. At the same time he wrote what became several books on Christian Discipleship. The following came from one of the books entitled Life Together: “There are three things for which the Christian needs a regular time alone during the day: meditation of the Scripture, prayer, and intercession… In our meditation we read the text given to us on the strength of the promise that it has something quite personal to say to us for this day and for our standing as Christians—it is not only God’s Word for the community of faith, but also God’s Word for me personally…” p86-87
While in a Roman Jail, also awaiting his own execution, St. Paul wrote: Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus Philippians 4: 6-7
The night before Jesus was crucified; he was calm and still caring for his disciples when he told them: ”Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” John 14 25-27
So I have to ask myself, if these men in prison and awaiting death for the crime of loving God and humanity can suggest that we should look to the scriptures, pray for ourselves and others, with thanksgiving to God, and we shall receive the peace of God, then maybe I should listen to them.
Something to ponder; all things should be brought to God. In all things we should be thankful to God, not the cruelty of the world people create, but in the all encompassing presence of the Holy Spirit. For me the peace of God is actually the recognizable presence of God in my life at that moment. My memory of the Lords’ previous help for me feeds my faith which acknowledges that Gods’ presence can be trusted, even in the times of unwanted outcome. All three require faith to function within a person’s life. Meditation is more than reading or memorizing, its’ sinking into the scripture. Letting our mind and spirit dive into the scripture to contemplate what it meant to those who first heard it. How did it change their lives and what does it mean to me. What would it mean to put it into practice? What is God saying the Divine power will do? What has been my experience in this matter if any? Do I truly have faith in God to do this? Remember, Jesus said “my peace I give to you.” How much more can we ask for from our Creator?
