“I don’t know IB, I’m not sure it’s fixable. We can certainly make it a better place, as individuals, but fix it? Personally I think a part of why we are here is to make things that under our own control, fair. It is us, as indivduals, who choose whether we have integrity, fairness, honesty, good judgement. Each one of us individually makes that choice for him/herself. We are ultimately responsible for our own behaviour towards ourselves, our neighbors and God. On that we will be judged.
I suspect you are seeking Peace on Earth, but I have come to realize that means something completely different than what most people think it does. Most would say it means a lack of war, a lack of strife, an absence of conflict. Personally, I think it not a lack or absence of anything but rather it is the presence of something- a sense of being who we are, where we are, doing what we are supposed to be doing under God’s eye. In essence Peace is personal and is a real presence felt in our souls by the grace of God. So “Peace on Earth, goodwill towards men.” does not mean a lack of war and the presence of goodwill, but rather an individual sense of “being/belonging/rightness” that will automatically result in goodwill. So, like Love or Truth, Peace is a gift given to us by God, and we have the choice of participating and much like walking into the spotlight on the stage – all appears much clearer in Faith and Peace.”
https://insanitybytes2.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/pandemonium-and-moral-ambiguity/
I have perhaps a thousand comments and conversations with Paul Curran, a great friend in bloggerville who has recently passed on. I just want to share some of his words, remember some of the good times we had,the great discussions.
See, there's this thing called biology... 
It’s really nice of you to keep the memory of your friend front and center. It’s obvious his words were important enough for you to keep alive. The recollection of a past conversation is a very warming tribute.
It’s a bitter and a sweet thing yes, to not know someone physically, but to really know them? Good on you msbytes.
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Thanks, Colorstorm. Paul was a good friend to so many people and he will be missed. You grow attached to people you speak to nearly every day. As much as I dislike some things about the internet, the opportunity to have l0ng and intimate conversations with people you hardly know, and to come to know them in ways that may never have happened IRL, on the ground, can be a real blessing.
I had another friend, Mark, who passed on before I met Paul, two guys God dropped into my life, right when I needed them. Makes me think of entertaining angels, we are greatly blessed when we take the time to do it. 🙂
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Ah yes, now there is a tale to be told: entertaining angels…….. 😉
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Thank you. 🙂
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I am in full agreement with the statement – “In essence Peace is personal and is a real presence felt in our souls by the grace of God”. Evidence of such personal peace is recorded in Acts 16:24 -26, where it states – “…he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…“ Such peace is the real peace scripture refers to. It is the inner consolation that even in the worse possible scenarios, God is in you. “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” 2or 3:17.
Jesus mad it quite clear that Hs peace is NOT universal unity in THIS world. “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division” – Lk. 12:51. Further clarification of the difference between worldly concepts of peace and God’s are contained in Christ’s promise. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” – Jo. 14:27.
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Oh, amen to this! That is one of my favorite teachings, much simplified into, “God can make the bad things fun.”
The older I get, the more able I am to look back at some real struggles and think, “that was actually one of the best things that ever happened to me.”
God is wonderful that way, some people can be in the midst of comfort and plenty, but very empty and sad. Where the spirit of the Lord is however, there can be genuine singing and rejoicing, even in prison.
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Ironically (as if God had nothing to do with it), I just post to another forum.. Years ago and familiar song by Cat Stevens invited people to look for and board what he called the ‘Peace Train’. That was well before I had my personal encounter with God and at that time, I thought that to be rather whimsical. John Lennon preached, ‘give peace a chance’ and everyone was passing out flowers to represent their desire to live in peace. Sadly, the only true unity in that peace movement was everyone’s desire to be high, escaping reality, while believing such transcendence was heaven on earth. I’ve since watched two generations com & go & still there is war & hate & prejudice – from which any vision of heaven that would intrigue me must be absolutely void. I’ve come to appreciate that there is tremendous difference between the mindset of the religious & that of secularism. While each religion professes a distinct version of heaven, unless one has received a clear conviction of truth, they must resign themselves to the reality that they really don’t know. Until such a time when a person comes to that realization & then disciplines himself to deciding that they must know the truth, because only the truth will determine their eternity, they remain naively content to muse over all the ‘what-if’s’ & possible ideologies presented by others who are equally lost. While false religion leads to the same place, secularism advocates a sense of spirituality that man can bring heaven to earth if we just learn to walk together in peace. It may be a warm fuzzy idea, & many organizations have been developed to promote it, but true spirituality is ‘other-worldly’ & intended as a preparation for the next life not the perfection of this one. Jesus Christ is the only one who offered peace in this world, yet clearly said that was NOT the same as the peace the world strives for. Only His peace would provide the inner tranquility & absence of fear while still in this world. Only His peace assures any ‘heaven; on earth. He promised His followers, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” – Jn. 14:27.
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Love this and agree 100%! What a beautiful legacy he left!
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