Remember when you were going out into the world—do you
remember what you wanted to achieve? Maybe it was prosperity or recognition, or
a place to hang your hat and park your car or cars. Maybe your goal was to have a title and a corner office,
high above the city, and to be someone your folks would be proud of. Or, maybe
it was a place to share your life with someone special, and have a family to
call your own. For many of us, it was all of the above and more, and I was one
of them. Then, you achieved those goals and things seem to settle down. Now you
just wanted to maintain the status quo, but one word kept creeping up. It was not that significant way back
when you stated this journey; but it became more important every day, and that
word was “peace.”
Many churches have in their hymnals an old song called “Let There Be Peace on Earth” and
continues with, “and let it began with
me.” Well, it’s not really that old—it dates back to 1955. If you haven’t heard it, you must be living under a rock
someplace. There are not a lot of words to the song, but those that are there
are powerful to anyone who is looking for peace. “Let peace began with me and let this be the moment now.” Ah yes,
we are getting impatient in our old age, aren’t we. All of the things I
mentioned above brought us satisfaction, but somehow, peace has alluded us and
the clock is ticking. We need one more thing before we call it a game and drop
the curtain. We need peace in our lives. “Let
there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.”
I find it baffling that this peace we need so badly, at the
end of our lives, has never been that important until now. That all of those
other things took center stage and now, when we know that the ball has dropped,
and we’re not going to go back there anymore, we want some peace and serenity.
I sit in church on Sunday, and as I look around, the thought has come to me,
what are all of these people praying for? Are some of them praying for peace in
their lives? By peace, I mean personal peace, and not just peace in this
troubled world. We will never get peace in this world until we find it in
ourselves. We can’t just sing, “Let it begin with me.” We have to sing, “It has
to begin with me.” We are part of the ingredients in the process, and it is
essential we not be hypocrites. Do as I do, and not just as I say. If we don’t
have it ourselves, we are like chocolate chip cookies without the chips.
Nothing to brag about, really. We need to find it early in our lives, when we
can inspire others and let it spread.
When I see people who are at peace with themselves, it makes
me smile—and believe me, it shows. I’m talking about their peace—not my smile.
When I see people who are constantly troubled, I want them to find that peace
because, when we all find it, then we will truly “walk with our brothers all
over this world, in perfect harmony.” There is an old adage that “Familiarity
breeds contempt.” In effect, it means the more you know about someone, the more
you will find fault with him or her. Not true. When you are at peace with
yourself, and your friends and family, there is no room for contempt in your
life. This is an axiom we can all live with.
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