Christian Reflection and Prayer

"Peace I bequeath to you, My own peace I
give to you, a peace which the world cannot
give, this is My gift to you" (John 14:27).

One morning in 1888, Alfred Nobel, inventor of
dynamite, awoke to read his own obituary. The
notice was printed as a result of a simple
journalistic error -- it was Alfred's brother that had
died and the reporter carelessly reported the death
of the wrong Nobel.

To Alfred, the shock was overwhelming because
he saw himself as the world saw him. The "Dynamite
King" -- the great industrialist who had made an
immense fortune from explosives. This, as far as the
general public was concerned, was the entire purpose
of Alfred's life. None of his true intentions to break
down the barriers that separated men and ideas for
peace were recognized or given serious consideration.
He was simply a merchant of death. And for that alone
he would be remembered. As he read the obituary with
horror, he resolved to make clear to the world the true
meaning and purpose of his life. This could be done
through the final disposition of his fortune. His last will
and testament would be the expression of his life's
ideals and ultimately would be why we would remember
him today. The result was the most valuable of prizes
given to those who had done the most for the cause of
world peace. It is called, of course, the "Nobel Peace
Prize."

The Biblical word for peace is "Wholeness." There is a
kind of peace that can be achieved by isolating ourselves
from conflict or by deceiving ourselves about the world
and our own condition. Such a peace is an achievement;
the Peace of Christ is a gift. Such a peace is precarious;
the Peace of Christ is everlastingly triumphant. Such a
peace is the peace of a fragmented person who has
become detached from the unpleasant; the Peace of
Christ is the peace of the whole person -- the "whole"
person who is reconciled to God, to himself or herself,
and to the world. The true "pursuit of happiness" is the
"pursuit of peace of mind and heart and soul." And Jesus
makes it crystal clear, that only those who are wiling to
accept the healing, saving presence of God at the center
of their being -- and day-by-day, live accordingly -- can
achieve it.

CAN YOU ACHIEVE IT?

( some from Sermons on Line)
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