Pursue Peace
August 22, 2018
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Psalm 34: 9-14
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
Seek peace and pursue it. A very simple concept and yet right across the world and in every generation we get it so very wrong.
‘Where is the Love’ by the Black Eyed Peas describes all the ways that we as the human race wreck the peace – wars, terrorism, religious and racial hate, discrimination, rival gangs, drugs just to mention a few. It could be a really depressing song but it is not because of the constant refrain of “Where is the love?”. The lyrics ask the “Father” to “send some guidance from above” and go on to say that “love is the key”.
Now I am not a hip hop/rap fan, it’s not something I would normally listen to but this song made it to the top of the UK charts so I heard it. A very successful song extolling peace and love in its broadest sense.
As we grow lots of things influence us, influence how we are shaped as adults and music is one of them. Unfortunately in every generation there is a new Number 1 song about peace because in every generation there is a new way in which the peace is wrecked. In my youth the song was the ‘Pipes of Peace' by Paul McCartney and there were several wars raging at the time.
Like the Black Eyed Peas song that could be really depressing but isn't, we live in the hope that in spite of conflict love will triumph eventually.We can make our own small contribution to the process by following the advice in the reading - turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
There is activity in that advice. It is not enough to just to turn from evil, we must actively do good. We must actively pursue peace and only you as the reader will know what that means in your part of the world and in your life.
Love is the beginning of peace
Help us to find the love within us
Help us to use it, actively
In your service.
Amen.
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