March 26thA Source of Hope
- by Susan Allison-Jones
I’m trying really hard to be selective when listening to the news these days. I’m guessing I’m not alone. When I spend too much time thinking about the things that are happening in our world I get anxious and fear creeps in. So I’ve put some very strict boundaries on what I read, what I Iisten to and the conversations I engage in. If I start to feel that familiar pit in my stomach developing I immediately take action to redirect my attention. I’d like to say that this is a Lenten practice but the truth is I’ve been doing it for a while.
It’s how I’ve gotten through some of the difficult situations in my life. But now with everything that is happening in our world it’s even more essential. There’s just too much negative stuff out there and it’s taking a toll on us as individuals and as a society.
But the reality is, it’s not the first time the world has seemed to be in a hopeless place. In fact history tells us that there have been revolts, wars, famines, pandemics, dictators and self centered policies since the beginning of time.
In John Chapter 14 Jesus is having a conversation with his followers. It’s just after he tells Peter that he’s going to deny knowing him three times. Jesus is trying to prepare his disciples for what is to come by reassuring them that he is who he says he is, that there is a heaven and that as long they are alive they will never be alone. Since we know the rest of the story it almost reads like a goodbye speech - which it sort of is.
Jesus has been travelling with these men for three years. He knows them well. He knows the reassurances they need. He knows what he needs to pass on to them. But he also knows what will create anxiety for these men. The world they live in is messy and hard and it is about to get messier and harder before it gets better. So Jesus says to them:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
Even without knowing what is to come this is good news for the disciples. And given what we know it is good news for us too. The peace Jesus gives his followers is one of hope and assurance that goes way beyond what a fallen world can offer. Even in times when we wonder why God isn’t stopping some of the madness, the peace of Jesus reassures us that God is present not just with us but with all those who are experiencing injustice. That God is in the middle of the mess.
The day we made the decision to return to Canada after spending six years living in Southern Africa I had a moment when I wondered if we were doing the right thing. We were uprooting our family again and we knew that moving home was always harder than the move to a new culture. As the panic crept into my thoughts I heard God say to me everything will be okay. Immediately a sense of peace washed over me - a sensation that I can only attribute as the peace Jesus was talking about to his followers. I would return to that feeling of peace and God’s promise that he was with me many times in the first years after returning home.
As we try to make our way in all of the issues that bombard us on a daily basis, it is wise for us to remember that we have a source of peace that is not of this world. It is really hard not to have troubled hearts these days. Not to feel afraid of what is happening and what might happen. But returning to our source of hope, our source of peace in the midst of chaos will be the one sure thing that helps us make any sense out of all of the chaos and suffering of our world.
- Susan Allison-Jones is pastor at Wilmot Mennonite Church