The quest for peace

Isaiah 11: 1 – 12

Rev. Peter R Green, Sunday morning, 11 Nov, 2007

I WAS looking at my calendar recently, and noticed how many celebrations there are in early November. Last week was Reformation Sunday, Monday was Guy Fawkes Day, today is Armistice Day.

Do you know these days? Reformation Sunday is about the beginning of the Reformation, when Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Church door.

Guy Fawkes Day was popular here until the authorities panicked about Summer bonfires. It is in memory of the Catholic terrorists who tried to force the English Government to restore some of the rights of Catholics. They thought that blowing up the Houses of Parliament would do the trick. Guy Fawkes was one of the conspirators, and was burnt at the stake for his misdemeanours.

Armistice Day remembers the end of World War I at 11am on the 11th of November, 1918. The warring nations signed an agreement ending the conflict. Everyone said it was the end of wars, but, sadly, the cruel conditions imposed almost guaranteed that a Hitler would arise someday and restart the war.

In a way, each of these celebrations has an aspect of peace about it.

Armistice Day is certainly about peace. People hoped that World War I, the most horrible of wars, would be the war to end wars. Today we remember those who died; and also look wearily forward to a world without war.

It’s harder to see in Guy Fawkes Day’s aggressive reaction to the problems of war and aggression. It says, “Do this again, and we will kill your people again.” But the same aim is there. We don’t want more killing and violence.

The third is different again. Ironically, the Reformation became a factor in the Thirty Years War.

This wasn’t really a religious war. It began when the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, tried to bully the Czechs into submission, and they defenestrated his ambassador. That’s painful even if you are only thrown out of a low window. It was worse than that for the ambassador. He died of it.

The Reformation rule was that each region would have its own religion. The aim was to avoid conflict. But the Catholic Emperor attacked the Protestant Czechs, the Protestant states rallied to support their fellow Protestants, and Catholics states rallied to support their Catholic Emperor, so the rule about regions and religions created horror.

You remember that the aim of reformation is to make Christians more Biblical, more gracious and more faith–filled. Surely these are things which lead to peace!

There is a thread of longing for peace in all these flawed efforts which we celebrate.

Through the centuries, people have read,

^{ISA 11:6} The wolf will live with the lamb,
   the leopard will lie down with the goat,
  the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
   and a little child will lead them.

They have read it, and cried out, “How long, O, Lord?”
 

PEACE THROUGH AGGRESSION

The worst option is when people say, “I will preserve my peace by being more powerful, more aggressive, than you are.” It’s the Guy Fawkes option.

Look at recent history. What a failure this way is. Think Vietnam, think Iraq. Even when good aims are achieved, like in World War II, the price is phenomenal.

Sometimes there is a case for all–out confrontational, aggression. Who could tolerate Hitler? Why tolerate what the Serbs did in Bosnia or the various warring tribes in Africa? Why do we tolerate the horrors of the Sudan?

What doesn’t work is vengeance, or getting inviolved in what does not concern us. Justice may be a reason, but never revenge, because, as the Bible says,

^{ROM 12:19} Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:
  “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
   if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

.The same principles apply to individuals as to nations. The head–on fight is of very limited use. Someone wrote in the Devonshire Street Tunnel during the Vietnam War something to the effect that fighting for the cause of peace is something like having sex in the cause of virginity. Something doesn’t quite fit, does it?

As someone said, “Love your enemy: it will drive him crazy!”

But power is there for good when it is needed. John, at school, used to pick on me. He was the hit and run type. One day I heard him coming and turned to face him before he reached me. He was above me on a slope in the playground. I grabbed his punching arm as he swung at me. I crouched down and turned. He flew over my shoulder and thumped down on his back. I said, “Better not pick on me, now I know some judo!”

A week later he sneaked up behind me, punched me in the head and ran. I caught up with him later in the lines, and reminded him that he might have to deal with me at any time, as he didn’t learn last time.

I never again had a problem with him, so an aggressive approach did achieve peace.

But it was a limited peace. He steered clear of me from then on. There was never any real rebuilding of relationship. I watched him, and he steered clear of me.

When the 9/11 attacks occurred, the first response of the Americans was to seek justice, and I applauded them in that. But soon the talk turned to vengeance, and I could see that that would only provoke even more terror, as it did.

If God’s aim is

 ^{ISA 11:9} They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,

then we should work towards achieving what he wants!

NEGOTIATED PEACE

Today, on Armistice Day, we remember negotiated peace, we remember the Treaty which ended World War I.

Negotiation is great. The Bible says that we should do it.

Matthew 18 is about negotiation. If someone does you wrong, you go and speak to him about it. If he won’t negotiate, you come back with a witness. And, if he still won’t talk, you take it to the church.

Jesus also said,

 ^{MATT 5:21} “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ <sup>22</sup> But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca, ‘ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

²³ “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴ leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

Negotiation and settlement of problems in a spirit of willingness to come together is a very Biblical solution. It is part of the way of peace that Jesus always lived out.

But negotiation only works if it is fair, if it involves participants who are on an even footing with each other.

At the end of World War I, England, France and the other allies were badly knocked around, but they were still on their feet. Germany was destroyed.

And the victorious nations decided to make Germany feel the pain, particularly France, which was still upset with Germany over the war in the 1870s.

No airforce, no standing army, massive repayments to the Allies for the costs of war. There was no way that Germany could get back on its feet. And Germany had two options: agree to the Treaty or go back to an unwinnable war.

That’s a way to a kind of peace, but it is a peace which will never last.

We still negotiate unfair treaties. We will be friends again if you give us your oil. We will be allies if you provide facilities for our soldiers. It goes on. You get sullenly subservient compliance, because the papers have been signed.

This is how the Government has designed WorkChoices, just to take any remaining power from Unions. They want peace in the workplace, but at the expense of fairness. If you don’t believe that, why do you think they changed the legislation to add a fairness test? Only it’s not as fair as giving workers equal power with their employers.

There will be no lasting industrial peace down that path!
 

RELIGIOUS PEACE

Luther came close to finding the answer.

He wanted people to share a faith, to share a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Yet the Reformation–era became an era of great conflicts and struggles across Europe which only really began to subside in in the 1700s, or even later.

As I said, one reason was the politics of the settlement between Protestants and Catholics. Self–serviing rulers with something to gain from fostering conflicts, dragged religious people in as their allies.

The big problem with the main Reformation solution was religion. I said, “Religion.” It wasn’t Christianity’s fault, but religion was certainly to blame in many ways: people’s loyaltites to systems, loyalties to different ways of praying, loyalties to the traditions of Christianity, but not to Jesus.

However, Luther was also very right about one thing — that there is personal peace that comes about through Jesus.

Think about how it was for people in Mediaeval times, facing what they believed was an angry, judgmental and unpredictable God. That was the whole basis for Tetzel’s work when he came around assuring people,

“As soon as the coin in the cash box rings,
The soul from purgatory fire springs”

People had no sense of personal peace, when they thought that God could be bought but that he never revealed the exact price.

“Have I paid enough? What things have I done which will be brought against me at the judgment?” No one could ever be sure.

People did not live in a sense of inner peace in those days. They constantly struggled to find an inner sense of peace with God.

And Martin Luther repeated what Paul said so many years before him:

Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God.

When people discovered the truth of the gospel, they found a first level of peace: that the enmity had ended, that God no longer pursued them for revenge, that a settlement had already been negotiated.

It’s just sad that the majority of people had no idea how to translate that personal sense of peace into peace with one another. That only happens when we realise that our peace comes from God’s grace, God’s undeserved favour towards sinners. Once we grasp grace, we can begin to extend it to those we disagree with. Truth without grace is an ugly thing. As God’s word says,

 ^{ISA 11:9} They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

You can only know the LORD in that way when you know and live in his grace to sinners and rebels.

CONCLUSION

It is vital for us to remind ourselves again and again about the basis of our relationship with God, if only to save ourselves from that graceless pursuit of personal peace without any sense of the grace which creates bridges between people who disagree and brings acceptance and peace to the outcast and unwanted.

A little past our passage, we read,

^{ISA 12:1} In that day you will say:
“I will praise you, O LORD.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.

² Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Here is the basis for peace.

It begins with inner peace as we trust God and refuse to be afraid.

Jesus gave his life on a cross so that no one need be in any doubt about God’s goodwill towards us.

Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.

When you and I trust God as a result of what Jesus did on the cross, that faith is also counted to us as righteousness. God justifies us, sets us right with himself. It is not that we are just as if we had never sinned; but God declares that we no longer have a case to answer, because Jesus has paid our debt in full.

That is the beginning of peace, because

being justified by faith, we have peace with God...

That is, God is no longer our judge, because you sin and mine is already judged on the cross. He is our Father and our God, whose love is broader than the scope of my transgression, deeper than the deepest, shining sea, and all–sufficient grace for even me!

When we trust and know how not to be afraid, even terrorists become less of a threat, and we can begin negotiating instead of escalating the conflict.

When we trust and know how not to be afraid, we know that God will not let us down if we let all parties to negotiation start on an equal footing, because God will bless what is done fairly.

When we trust and know how not to be afraid, we become less focused on our own peace and more available to work for peace.

But it still comes down to faith, to simple active trust in the Lord Jesus Christ., faith put into action, faith that is real.

Today we remember those who fell in battle. How much more should we remember the One who fell in the battle against the worst enemy of all, who fell and never said even a mumbling word, who fell — and then, by the grace of his God and ours, rose again never to die!

What better day to re–affirm our commitment to Jesus and to renew our promise to follow him wherever he leads?

Let’s bow in prayer...

AMEN

© Peter R. Green 2007. Permission is granted for quotation in full for non-commercial purposes provided that authorship is acknowledged and this copyright notice is displayed with the text. Portions also copyright The Bible, NIV (Zondervan Ltd.)