“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you
as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not
be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV
One commentary says at the time of Jesus’ words in John 14, “Let not heart be troubled,” there were lots of reasons for “anxiety and alarm” among the disciples.
They had just learned their world was about to be turned upside down– that they had a traitor among them; that Peter would deny Jesus; and in the midst of it all, Jesus, their teacher, friend and hope was saying He had to go away to a place they could not follow.
Today we can turn to CNN and see a continuous loop of the devastation death as a result of record-breaking weather across the country. How can we battle tornadoes, torrential rains, and floods? Or, we can wait a few moments and hear what new news story is being spun to deepen the racial divide in our country, as opposed to trying to close it. Why is discussing race in America so hard? Why are the wounds still so deep?
Then there’s the recent Vanity Fair cover story about Bruce Jenner, once beloved Olympiad and father of six biological children, now Caitlyn, or “she” fueling a whole new discussion of sexual identity and culture. How do we engage and love the lost and the broken with the grace and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Where’s the peace?
Each story on it’s own could engender fear and even anger, but all three together fueled by a 24-hour news loop can be anxiety producing, to say the least!
So as Christians, what do we do?
- Always pray, and remember the power of the Gospel,
- Share the Good News of The Gospel with boldness,
- Admonish and encourage each other in the faith,
- Embody grace and truth.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV