Keep the Peace

Preserve your inner peace at any cost. Do not trade your inner peace for anything in the world. Make peace with yourself, and heaven and earth will make peace with you.

I recall an Anglican abbot once saying that during the Vietnam War his monastery had many visitors and inquirers. He noted many of the young were deeply angry about peace. The irony of his observation is the irony of our predicament. The most difficult aspect of acquiring peace is simply having a God (other than yourself). If Christ is truly Lord of my life and all things work together for good, and I need take no thought for tomorrow, then how do I not have peace?

That same abbot also said, “The contemplative need go no further than his own heart to find the source of all violence in the world.”

About Fr. Stephen Freeman

Fr. Stephen is a retired Archpriest of the Orthodox Church in America. He is also author of Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Storey Universe, and Face to Face: Knowing God Beyond Our Shame, as well as the Glory to God podcast series on Ancient Faith Radio.

Posted

September 3, 2012

Heart, Orthodox Christianity

Comments

5 responses to “Keep the Peace”

Diakrisis

September 3, 2012

I think of the irony of the “Occupy Movement” when I read this post about “angry peace.”

*** Not every quiet person’s humble, but every humble person’s quiet—St Isaac of Syria ***
mary benton

September 3, 2012

The beauty of this post is in its simplicity. Thank you.

We do not want to admit our desire to be god. Hard to surrender a desire I do not admit I have.
SteveL

September 3, 2012

This makes me think of Russell Brand:
fatherstephen

September 4, 2012

Steve,
Hmmm.
SteveL

September 4, 2012

I didn’t mean to post the video directly into your blog. Hmmm. It’s supposed to be funny, from a movie.

Instead of proposing something specific, the lyric says “Do something.” As if it doesn’t matter what is done. Something! Anything! I find that amusing, and descriptive of what goes on in my heart when I’m filled with fear.

Also, the lyrics says, “You gotta do something.” The focus is not on himself, its focus is on you, out there, while I boss you around. That goes against a Christian focus on my own sins.

Finally, near the end, the lyric is “You gotta get angry!” which speaks to your point.

I was trying to agree with you, Father. 🙂

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