Peace
/Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. -James 4:1-2
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me. That was a very popular song written in 1969. And it speaks the same truth as James’ letter. When we are not peaceful inside, we won’t be peaceful on the outside, and we might well spread our inner conflict and disputes out into the world.
We all know what it’s like to be “hangry” (hungry and angry) or to be around someone else who is. No good comes when we’re in a state of empty resentment. When we are craving, wanting, coveting what we do not have, that’s when we can often start arguments, fights, even wars. James writes, “Where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.”
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
It’s human nature to blame our problems on other people or factors outside of ourselves. People can be difficult and the world is a mess. But other people and the mess of the world are not under our control. The only thing we have any control over is ourselves and our own practices, and sometimes even that’s not easy! All we can do is practice taking every tiny step we can toward improving our own life’s fruits - to work on turning away from our own difficult and annoying habits - removing the logs we all have in our own eyes. To practice cultivating peace inside so as to be able to sow peace outward toward others. Peace. Acceptance, Forgiveness. Trust. Hope. Patience, Gentleness. Mercy. Kindness. Compassion. Generosity. Helpfulness. The list goes on. We all know what the good fruits are - and what the rotten ones are, too.
What is a good fruit you can work on cultivating today? What changes can you make in yourself and in your situation to bring more peace into your mind, body and soul? They might not be simple or easy. Many good changes take courage. You might stop short of making challenging changes and simply become hangry - craving and wanting and coveting a life you do not seem to have. That is exactly what James thought could degrade into disorder and wickedness of every kind.
This passage from James always reminds me of the serenity prayer. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. That wisdom is the key. And it is often tricky to discern. It is not our own wisdom. It is what James calls the wisdom from above.
The wisdom from above is not something we can grab or master or claim for our own. But it’s a gift we can practice opening ourselves up to every day in the way we practice living our day to day lives. As James advises: Instead of spending our time and energy wrestling with earthly, un-spiritual and devilish distractions, draw near to God, and God will draw near to you.
And that is where the peace is.
