New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Peace and joy in a tumultuous world
It’s incredibly easy to allow ourselves to be buried under the weight of so many issues today that suggest the world is spinning rapidly out of control. Rather than list them here, all one has to do is to turn on the nightly news and immediately be consumed in a fire hose torrent of disaster, violence, heartache and contention.
It’s a difficult world to live in and even more difficult of a place to have to grow up in. Every generation has had its stress-inducing plagues, and yet, over the course the journey that has brought me well into my AARP years, I have never seen such rapid fire, daily negativity. My concerns for my grandchildren are justified. Will they have air to breathe, food to eat, and a peaceful world to live in?
Who would have ever imagined that any of these basic elements of life would be in question?
And yet, it was in the midst of difficulties that the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Church at Philippi suggested, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:4-7 NIV)
Paul was under house arrest in Rome and facing trial when he penned those words. At the same time, there was doctrinal contention in the church at Philippi that Paul both acknowledged and addressed. There were also personal disagreements that had led to ongoing strife within the church (e.g., in our world it might be the endless debates regarding masks or no masks, jabs or no jabs). He addressed the need to rise above such disagreements and maintain harmony. Paul’s head was not buried in the sand. He had not swallowed Marx’s “opiate of the masses.” He was a realist who managed to face and deal with unpleasant realities while maintaining his own joy and peace and suggesting others do the same.
How did he do so? First of all, his letter to the Church at Philippi was one of thanks to those who had continued to support him through his challenges. If there is a key ingredient to not being smashed by waves of today’s horrific, unpleasant realities and carried out to sea in their dreadful undertow, it’s to maintain a sense of personal gratitude as a foundation of stability at all times. Scientific studies show that gratitude can improve sleep quality, improve emotional regulation, increase feelings of happiness and positive mood, foster hope for the future, reduce stress, burnout and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and increase resilience.
But starting with a basis of gratitude is just the beginning. Paul went on to suggest, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9)
It’s not about ignoring harsh realities. It’s about not being embittered and emotionally driven to ultimately destructive places by them. It’s about consciously recognizing that (1) God is ultimately good, (2) He has not forsaken us and (3) He has provided a course or redemption for us all. If that’s not your reality, I invite you to Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!”
Peace and joy are often chosen responses in the midst of difficulties. With that in mind, I draw you back to the word of Paul to the church at Philippi, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)