Peace
Everywhere I look now, I see the peace symbol--on purses, shirts, hair ornaments, caps, books, shoes, cars, you name it. When I first noticed this phenomenon, I thought, oh, good grief--here we are back in the sixties with the flower children.
But the more I think about it, the more I realize this is a good thing. Peace is elusive today. You can hardly find a quiet, calm spot, not a physical place, not a quiet moment in your spirit. People long for peace. We are universally wired to need it. Let there be peace signs on every surface, I declare, and let there be tremendous awareness and deep longing.
One of my favorite Bible verses is this:
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
This verse is found in the first chapter of Colossians, verse 17. In this chapter, we see that Paul was writing his letter to the Christians of Colossae, an ancient Greek city, who were said to have confused beliefs. Paul was afraid they would not see the true nature of Jesus. So he wrote a statement of the principles of Christianity to clarify it for them.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
This verse is part of Paul’s statement of beliefs--a testimonial prayer for the believer’s life. It proclaims the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the supreme power and love of God, who redeemed us from darkness through Jesus. It means God created the world and everything in it, and that he is in control of it all. His awesome love overcomes chaos in every situation. We can choose to live in his love, in his Spirit, in his peace.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
This understanding gives us hope and a sense of security, helps us even when it may appear that our lives are falling apart. Because God is love, I know I can depend on him. I will not be washed over by chaos. He makes peace possible.
**I borrowed this picture of a human peace sign from Wrangler News.
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