Are we suggesting that life should be without worries, or that hard questions should go away? Are we believing that people of faith should be living lives which are calm and restful?
In the Christian tradition, we have the promise: “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:10). So, how might we describe “peace which passes all understanding”? Have you experienced that sort of peace? I doubt that feeling peaceful when everything is going well can be described in that way, as that is certainly not beyond understanding. Is the promise of God related to rewards for those who are believers, with non-believers rarely experiencing peace as a form of punishment? I doubt that this is so.
It is interesting to share with each other stories of moments when we, unexpectedly, have felt an amazing sense of peace. I recall when I was agonising about whether to reveal my sexuality in the face of risking losing my ordination, my job and possibly many relationships, the lack of peace was present within me. When I decided I did need to take that risk, an inner peace truly surprised me and stayed with me after the public “coming out”. I suspect that a person like Ian Thorpe may well have had the same experience.
The peace of God is often linked with a costly enacting of integrity, a moment in life which demands that we live with courage and faith, even though we do not know what will follow and how we will cope with that. Taking a stand for justice which may lead to various forms of critique and rejection by people around us, or even greater costs in some situations, can still hold us into surprising peace within the depths of our hearts and lives.
I recall meeting with Nelson Mandela shortly after he had been released from all those long years in prison and to find this extraordinarily peaceful person. When he walked down the central aisle of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney during the welcoming service which we had arranged for him there, some people stretched out their hands to be near to him. They sensed an aura of good and peace around him. In talking with him, I could see that this profound peace was not so much related to the fact that he was now free from prison but the something which was deeply within his life when he was surviving that imprisonment – the peace of God which passes all understanding.
I have noticed this peace in many people who have suffered for the cause of justice and compassion in various struggles around the world. In saying this, I am not suggesting that they, or we, should choose to suffer in the hope of finding peace. It is more about daring to walk towards life which reflects the calling of God to humankind to be part of the transforming of the community around us into one which expresses love for all people. As we commit ourselves to try to do this as best we can, for its own sake, we may well be surprised by what comes to us in gifts of deep and inner peace – something which is hard to describe.
Another time when we can feel surprising peace is when we are grieving the loss of one we love. As we are prepared to go down into the depths of our sadness, there beneath it can sometimes be a sense of profound peace.
None of this means that, once we choose to be faithfully obedient to the hopes of God for us, we are forever in peace. We are all human and thus move back and forth in the way we live for good or otherwise. However, when we do experience peace, which is beyond understanding, it will forever stand as a grand hope for our lives.
