A Question of Peace

When someone is confirmed at our church or when they decide to join with us in ministry and mission as a member, they answer a long question about their intentions for our life together. That question ends with this request:

 “Will you strive for justice and peace in all the earth?”

Everyone answers:

 “I will, and ask God to help and guide me.”

I’ve never had anyone not answer in those words. And so I’m assuming that every member of our church, in fact, every member of the Christian church, is interested in bringing justice and peace to our world.

And if not, I’m not quite sure how they got in in the first place.

So we are, by our very nature, and in our very gathering, a people who are looking to find ways to find more justice and more peace. In fact, we’re striving for it.

From the Urban Dictionary I found this definition of what striving means.  

“Striving is halfway between surviving and thriving. You're working towards it, but you just aren't there yet.”

I like that.

And so we’re striving toward peace and justice, not there yet, but on our way. And so we pray. We pray for an end to violence and bloodshed. We pray for an end to assassination attempts and homicides in our neighborhoods. We pray for an end war in Ukraine and Israel and Haiti and . . .and . . and . . .and we pray for more justice everywhere.

I can’t change the whole world, but I can pray for all people to live in new ways, to honor and respect all people, and to settle disagreements with words rather than rifles.

And so I pray. Every day, I pray. I trust you are also praying.

In Christ,

Pastor John D. Morris, Senior Pastor