Peace? No!

Monday, October 26, 2009 -- Week of Proper 25, Year One
Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 990)
Psalms 41, 52 (morning) 44 (evening)
Zechariah 1:7-17
Revelation 1:4-20
Matthew 12:43-50

There is a problem with peace. At least there is a problem from the perspective of three of our readings today.

We interrupt our start in the Ezra-Nehemiah collection in order to read a dream vision from Zechariah. The vision fits chronologically with our reading in Ezra. The year is 519 BCE, the time of the building of the foundation of the Jerusalem Temple. Zechariah sees four horsemen, a heavenly patrol that watches over the world's affairs. (Four is a symbolic number meaning wholeness or totality.) The horsemen report, "We have patrolled the earth, and lo, the whole earth remains at peace." Sounds good, right? No!

The angel is angry that people are at ease while Jerusalem is in such ruin. The angel declares that God's time of judgment of Jerusalem is over, and that God has returned with compassion. The house of God will be rebuilt and "my cities shall again overflow with prosperity." It is a call for the world to shake off its attitude of comfort and presumption, and act with urgency to respond to the need of God's people.

We begin a journey today through selected sections of the book of Revelation for the next four weeks. John's vision is a vision of suffering and conflict, but the social context is peace and prosperity. Roman peace (Pax Romana) is exactly the problem that Revelation addresses. John warns the little Christian community not to be seduced by the glamour, luxury and imperial power of the Greco-Roman culture. All of that decadence and indulgence is the enemy which will be defeated by the triumphant Christ, who has "made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever."

And Matthew's gospel tells of someone who has cleaned up their act. They have repented and straightened up their life, emptied it and put it in order. For Matthew's theology, it is necessary to persevere in consistent action after you have repented. Not to do so could leave you in a worse condition. So, do not long for peace and quiet, says Matthew. Continue to persevere in discipleship, or "the last state of that person is worse than the first."

These messages and images are poignant reminders especially to us, first-world dwellers in a land of remarkable prosperity and imperial power. Zechariah would tell us today, "How dare you sit there in America, comfortable in your warm houses, when the Holy Land (and other lands) suffer and struggle so!" The book of Revelation could be written today for us, attacking the luxury, decadence and imperial power of the United States as today's Rome/Babylon. And Matthew's call to perseverance is always timely.

We want peace, yes, but not peace with injustice, or peace in the face of other's suffering. We want peace, yes, but not the peace that supports indulgence through abusive power. We want peace, yes, but not the passive withdrawal from consistent action. Peace that is true is peace that is inclusive, just, and active. Mississippian William A. Percy writes in the final verse of his great hymn (661), "The peace of God, it is no peace, but strife closed in the sod. Yet let us pray for but one thing -- the marvelous peace of God."
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This is one of those days when I deeply appreciate the annotations and scholarship of "The Access Bible" which I use for my daily readings. The editors do an especially fine bit of work interpreting the perplexing book of Revelation. The clarity and depth that they bring to just this one book is worth the price of the Bible.

Lowell

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About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life

We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas