“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4)
I don’t think God got the memo.
When I pray for peace, what I am expecting and wanting is for God to get rid of everything that is stealing peace from me.
- Violence? – yup. Get rid of it!
- People out to get me? – yup. I want them gone.
- Financial pressure? – yup. Absolutely
- Disease? – Yup. Is that even a question?
That’s what I expect. Peace. Everyone knows what peace is.
I don’t think God got the memo.
God doesn’t promise peace in the absence of evil, hardship, disease. God promises peace in the midst of those things. Look where God locates his protection and guidance – even though I walk through the valley of the shadows of death. Whatever that valley is, it sure sounds ominous and foreboding. And that’s exactly where God promises his peace.
Until Jesus comes to make all things right, the world you and I live in is going to have hardship, disease, betrayal, and suffering. And that is why God promises us his presence and peace in the midst of the storm. That’s the only kind of help that will make a difference for people living in this world.
Maybe it’s not that God didn’t get the memo as much as we better start paying heed to God’s memo.
Praxis: Faith in Action 