Know Jesus, know peace

And my God shall supply every need of yours according to His riches in Christ Jesus.       --Philippians 4:19

What steals your peace?  The Apostle Paul wrote that "the fruit of the Spirit is...peace..."  You who have given your life to Christ, who are filled by the Spirit, can have your peace stolen, either by things you can control, or by things you can't.

In the news this week is a group of people who have taken up an injustice against one of their members.  A minority group on the University of Missouri campus took up the offense of one student who may have been called a racial epithet.  Details are sketchy, but this group of students came together and demanded change.  The president of the university resigned.  They were afforded "safe places" on campus where divisive terms and name-calling is not allowed.

About the same time this group was looking to affect more change in the name of justice, news came of a terrorist bombing in Paris, France.  In a coordinated effort not seen since 9/11, radical members of ISIS took the lives of 149 innocent people.  Hundreds more were injured.  The news cameras left the UM campus and began broadcasting images of frightened Parisians, French people whose peace was taken from them by an outside group.  Just days later, the good people of Paris are back in the street, showing the terrorists that they are not willing to have their peace shattered permanently.  They will not live in fear.

There are reports that the university students in the first story are upset about having the spotlight taken off of them.  They feel their grievances have not been fully aired.  They continue to choose to sacrifice peace for social justice.  Their focus is not on Society at large, but on the small part of society that intersects their own lives.

When Jesus taught here on Earth, he spoke about things that might steal your peace.  He spoke about nakedness and hunger and homelessness, things people worry about even today.  Stories abound about how most people are just one paycheck away from homelessness and despair.  Yet Jesus told us not to despair.

"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worhsip, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body.  Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God.  And you count far more than birds.  Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch?  All this time and money wasted on fashion--do you think it makes that much difference?  Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers.  They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it?  The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.  If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in yoiu, do his best for you?  What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving.  Peoplw who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works.  Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions.  Don't worry about missing out.  You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.  Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help yhou deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."  --Matthew 6:25-34, The Message

Isn't that a fresh way to look at life?  "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well."  All what things?  Things you worry about, like food, and clothes, and shelter.  Even things like injustice.  Even things like terrorists.