Words to Grow On

April 24, 2006

Peace

by

Dorothy Gates

Psalm 46

I’ve been thinking about peace a lot – influenced by world events I’m sure, but also because of my heritage.  For those of you who don’t know me, I’m originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland.  I moved to this country by myself when I was 22 in 1988.

I’d like to share with you a little about my life prior to 1988.  Belfast was not a peaceful place to grow up in, in the ‘70’s.  I grew up in a Protestant home.  My parents were Salvation Army officers.  In his teens, my brother became part of a group that today would be described as a terrorist group.  So, I’ve seen many things I wish I could erase from my memory.

People will take up arms and fight for different things:

A) Freedom

B) Justice & equality

C) To preserve a way of life

The two sides in any war or conflict will rarely be fighting for the same thing.  In my opinion in Belfast, one side is fighting for A & B while the other is fighting for C.  As a kid growing up it didn’t matter to me what it was about – I just wanted it to stop.

As a kid I learned:

1. Never leave your Dad’s car unlocked (unattended, unlocked cars were just asking to become the next car bomb).

2. What it meant to stand in line waiting to be hand searched to get into EVERY store in town.

3. If a group of thugs are walking towards you, put your head down, don’t look at them and cross over to the other side of the street.

As a teenager I learned:

1. NEVER trust the media

2. NEVER trust a politician

3. There is NO SUCH THING as peace on this earth

As a college student, there were peace-talks upon peace-talks, empty promises made by equally empty politicians and documents galore emblazoned with signatures that agreed to peace.  But the reality was clear – there was no peace.

Peace, was finally announced (like it’s an event that can happen!) on April 10th 1998.  Today, the reality is there is no REAL lasting peace in Northern Ireland.  Mum told me there was bomb scares all over the city last week – hardly something which happens in a peaceful place.  Peace cannot be declared like an event.  Hearts, minds and hundreds of years of mistrust and fear cannot be changed by signatures on a piece of paper or by well-timed or well articulated announcements by politicians.  A signed treaty is just a sign that the people have a desire for peace - not that every heart has been changed, every weapon laid down, and every fear erased.

If it is the heart and mind that needs to be encountered and changed to bring lasting peace in any situation – then only God can do that.  He is the ONLY one who can erase every fear and bring true lasting peace in every situation.  Man’s peace is fragile.  Many work hard in Northern Ireland to keep the peace intact.  Others work equally hard to keep the hatred and fear alive.

We live in bizarre times rright now.  No one can promise us peace and its naïve to think that any human being can.  That should not be cause for fear however.  We have NOTHING to fear if our trust is in God.