The Social Conservative Review: October 17, 2016

October 17, 2016

Dear Friends,

In the midst of worrying about the presidential election, the state of our culture, and the daily struggles that arise in our lives, it can be quite difficult to maintain an inner peace. I know it is for me. And yet, Christ’s constant bidding in the Gospels is, “Peace be with you.” I think it’s worth pondering what His true intent is with these words. It seems to me that Christ is not merely wishing that everyone should have more peace in their lives. He is literally giving His peace to us as a gift: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). It is therefore up to us to authentically receive His peace in humble thanksgiving and let it enlighten our lives.

These thoughts come to mind as I reflect on a recent blog post by Dr. Tom Neal, in which he expounds on the idea of “blooming where you’re planted.” In it, he quotes several pithy thoughts on the idea that in order to maintain Christ’s peace in the chaos of life, we must humbly accept whatever comes our way as a gift from God. According to one theologian: “Those who refuse to embrace life’s present joys and trials as coming from the Hand of God, who constantly complain of their present circumstances ... these will never grow in sanctity, but rather will forever remain mired in the stagnation of mediocrity.”

Part of receiving and maintaining Christ’s peace is to not be afraid of suffering—it is inevitably part of all of our lives. Seeing suffering ultimately as a gift and an opportunity to grow in holiness is essential. Here are the reflections of another theologian:

“Christians in the West have largely become repulsed by the tragic elements of life, and in so doing lose the opportunity, in facing tragedy, to experience the divine depths of faith and hope that spring from the corpse of Christ. They never get to know what it means to cling to God in the dark. Running from darkness and tragedy, one loses that most precious gift, that feeling, that thrill that makes us most human: the joy at seeing the first rays of a long awaited dawn after a long, dark night. Instead, we keep our self-made night lights on.”

The road ahead for our country may indeed be a “long, dark night,” especially for believers. But no matter what trials we face, Christ never fails to offer us his peace. This fact alone should reveal to us that we should not burden ourselves with worry about a distasteful present and an ominous future. In the words of Thomas Merton: “You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope ... It is better to find God on the threshold of despair than to risk our lives in a complacency.”

Thank you for your prayers and for your continued support of FRC and the family.

Sincerely,

Dan Hart
Managing Editor for Publications
Family Research Council

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