Socks on the floor
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”
That’s how today’s Gospel starts. Jesus is telling us that there’s the world’s version of peace. And then there’s God’s version.
The world’s version of peace is the kind you and I get when there’s a break in the action. Two things about that kind of peace.
One – it doesn’t last. You and I know this. Sometimes we even call it “a moment’s peace.”
Two – whether we worked hard for it, or it just happened, it’s fragile. It will be wiped away by the next thing that happens.
Because the world’s version of peace is the peace of the finished task. The peace of the sleeping child. The peace of the cancelled meeting.
It’s not a question of whether that peace will end. It’s just a matter of how and when.
It’s a peace that cannot last. Because it’s just a break in the action.
And because it is just a break in the action, it’s never there when you and I need it most – when we’re right in the middle of things.
Especially things like death, divorce, addiction, illness, job loss. The hard things.
So, what’s God’s version of peace?
God’s version of peace – is peace in right in the middle of things. Even the hard things.
The difference between God’s peace and the world’s is the source.
God’s peace doesn’t come from a break in the action. God’s peace comes from making a place for God in our lives.
God freely pours out His peace for all of us. But you and I have to be smart enough to take it.
To do that, we have to build habits of peace.
That is, we have to intentionally build places within our lives, within our routine, and within ourselves to be with God.
We can have set times for Bible reading and prayer.
We can have landmarks (places, images, things we do, etc.) that we us to call us to God.
We can have moments and feelings (good, bad, or indifferent) that we turn into calls to prayer.
It can be as formal or informal as we like.
Whatever we do, we have to actually do it. And it has to lead us to a spiritual place.
But we can’t treat that place like grandma’s house. A place we only go to for Christmas or when someone dies.
We can’t treat that place like a storm shelter. A place we only run to when we hear the tornado sirens.
That place has to be our home. The place we live in, every day.
And you and I have to really live in that place of God’s peace.
Until there are dishes in the sink and socks on the floor.
Until you and I are talking with God – taking things to God in prayer, telling God all about all of it, seeking God’s will for the big things and the small stuff – talking with God like our dearest friend.
Not just while we’re reading the Bible or saying our prayers, but in the middle of everything.
Even while we’re dropping our socks on the floor.
Today’s Readings
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Are Yall this Gulliable??? This Leathbriar person... WHO KEEPS making these TROLL-ASS ANTI-BLACK posts about Uhura...
....That seem complimentary, but keep using words like "arrogant" and "annoying", and somehow yall are giving this person all the likes???
This is yet ANOTHER sockpoppet of this weird little troll playing "fan" of Uhura using all the racist fucking tropes.
WTF??! Yall??
Just post after post and yall just liking them... without any sense of the tropes that go against black women.
This is the same weirdo who called Celia Rose too masculine to play Uhura!!
Trekkies what is wrong with yall???
This is so frustrating as a black fan of Uhura, in all iterations to constantly see this troll using racist tropes and GETTING LIKES!!! by making mutiple "love" posts about Uhura but sneaking in all the racist tropes!
Sneaking words like "arrogant" and "annoying" and pushy bs....
YALL NOT SEEING THIS SHIT???
YALL JUST CO-SIGNING???
.....Ninety something likes from yall???
PLEASE.
DO.
BETTER.
P.S. STOP ANSWERING anon asks about how "ugly" Celia Rose is. It's the same racist weirdo troll.
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