STAND UP - A cry for Peace.

Stand Up, We will Not Be Moved,

Except by a child with no Socks or Shoes.

 - Flowbots "Stand Up"

Today reading the news I see a headline that looks all to familiar in my lifetime.

US Military Stands Ready to Strike Syria

Let me start by being candid here, war breaks my heart.

As a rule I stand against militarism and war. I stand for peace. I stand for loving not only your neighbor but your enemy.

Sure there are instances where even the most holy individuals will advocate war, for example to end Genocide. Which is the primary reason Christians use to justify the need for storming the beaches of Normandy to overthrow the Nazi party of Germany. If you are an advocate for war to end Genocide where are you crying out for intervention in Darfur?

Many people will be upset with this post for appearing political in nature or in opposition to their point of view. Even still, I cannot remain silent in the face of war.

This current conflict we face is one that I have seen and heard the least amount of public opinion on, as if we have resigned ourselves to defeat in standing for peace. Leading into the Iraq war there were public demonstrations and marches for peace. Yet with Libya and now with Syria, all we hear are newscasts on how the world needs so badly for us to step in and take military force, with the occasion conflict line of the opposite political party saying that its a bad idea because it scores them political points with their base.

So join me and Stand Up.

Let public opinion, let opposition to violence rise together with a loud voice in a way that cannot be ignored.

Stand for Peace.

In the words of the Flowbots

"Put your hands up high if you havn't imagined.

Hope that the pen strikes stronger than the Cannon"

Lets let the world know that we the people are not being fully represented by our government when their method of good will for the world comes from cruise missiles and drone strikes.

Stand Up, and let the world see that we love them.
and not by sending them weapons.

The power of death and destruction rests in the power of Fear. We must not fear even death for the sake of love and the sake of peace. When we refuse to fear, we take away the power of destruction.

Stand up!

Stand Against arming revolutions.

Stand for the innocent people trying to live as normal a life they can who are surrounded by gunfire. Stand for those whose roads and bridges are destroyed. Stand for those whose opportunity to educate their children is robbed from them by political conflict of world leaders.

In the words of Gandhi "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." The pathways to freedom come through the overwhelming voice of the people and not the echoing of empty shells as they hit the pavement, or the roar of a violent mob conflicting with police.

In the words of Jesus "Even as you have done for the least of these, you have done even to me."

Life is a gift. Pray for peace. Pray for life. Pray for strength to Stand UP!





As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ, and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.

Peace That Passes Understanding

The peace that passes understanding, have you ever heard anyone use this phrase?

Maybe you have, maybe you have even experienced it. It is almost like a blissful state of euphoria where everything in the world is just okay even though they aren't. Of course, I realize that my attempt to illustrate this concept is hopeless because by definition it is beyond understanding. When I hear this phrase I am sometimes confused. I wish I could figure out how in a world with so much conflict, so much turmoil, and so much pain, that someone could be at "peace" with themselves or the world or God or whatever it is they are at peace with. It is mind-boggling to contemplate the things that cannot be understood, especially for me. Then it occurred to me, what must happen before this can be achieved. It is really quite a simple concept so I hope that I can figure out how to grasp it and maybe you can too.

To experience the peace that passes understanding you must first accept that there are some things in this world in which you will never be able to understand no matter how hard you try.

God help me accept the limits of my mind.

**added 5/23/17 **

A little more than 6 years after first publishing this post, I have learned a great deal. Unfortunately, our world has only become more chaotic, with seemingly more conflict and turmoil. My own life has seen some significant ups and downs. Yet, I have experienced this peace more and more over time. 

The thought actually originates in Scripture, it comes from Philippians 4:7 which says:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus - NIV

As it turns out, attaining the peace that passes understanding has less to do with accepting our own limitations and more to do with trusting in God.

There are a number of things I could talk about here, and perhaps I will continue to add to this post on another day, but for me, the priority for growing in our trust of God is growing in our understanding and practice of Sabbath.

When people tell me they are struggling in their faith, feeling anxious, or overwhelmed, a question I often ask is: when was the last time you took an entire 24 hours of rest/not working (school or paid)?

The answers I usually get are some sort of dodging the question because the person can't answer it. They don't remember the last time they took a day off. This causes a LOT of problems for our physical, mental, and spiritual health. After all, taking a sabbath (day of rest) is not just a suggestion in the bible "It's a Divine Command!!" So how do we do it? how can we get better at trusting God? 

Well, I have a great book to recommend on the topic:


Order yourself a copy, read it, and let me know what you think. 

As Always thanks for your time and giving this a read. If you enjoyed it share it with friends, you can do so easily with one of the buttons below. I pray that you will embrace life in the Love and Grace offered to you through Jesus Christ and that you will always remember Jeremiah 29:11.  – For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to Proper You and not for harm, Plans with Hope for the Future.