Fr. Tryphon
In an age that seems to be forever
witnessing wars between nations, and civil wars within nations, peace
seems to be something that is about as possible as the alchemy that
would turn metal into gold. Peacemakers struggle to find peaceful
solutions for the conflicts between nations, political parties,
religions, neighbors, and even within families. Peace is something we
all hope for, but never seem to see in our lifetime. When peace comes to
one part of the world, war breaks out in another part of the world. War
seems to always have the upper hand, while peace seems only the dream
of pacifists, dreamers, and poets.
In the nineteen-sixties, many had hoped
peace was about to reign in our world, for pop philosophers and hippies
thought they were ushering in a new age. In preparation for this Age of
Aquarius, young people grew their hair long, wore flowers in their hair,
and embraced a lifestyle that was to last forever. The musical Hair even touted the ideal, and a whole generation “tuned in, turned on, and dropped out”.
When the Soviet Union imploded, and with
it we saw the end of the Cold War, many believed war would be no more.
The West no longer had as an enemy, the Soviet Union. It didn’t take
long for all to realize peace was still beyond our grasp, and wars
between nations and peoples was to continue. We were no longer at war
with Communism, but with Islam, or other ideologies. So, peacemakers
still struggle for the cause of peace, but on different fronts.
Peace is that evasive goal that still
strikes hope in the hearts of men, however improbable its attainment may
seem. We Christians have always had the acquisition of peace as a
central theme in corporate prayers. The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
has petitions for peace throughout, and the first three litanies are
petitions for peace. The priest even prays for “an angel of peace, and a
guardian of our souls”. An Angel of Peace was assigned as our personal
guardian angel, at the moment of our baptism.
Peace is such a central theme in the
life of the Church that nineteenth century Russian Saint Seraphim of
Sarov said, “Acquire peace and a thousand around you will be saved”. The
personal acquisition of peace begins with repentance, that moment in
time when we have a change of mind, and decide to follow the path to
wholeness.
Peace is not just an idea, but an active
force for change. When we pray in the Liturgy for “peace for the whole
world”, we are praying not just for this world, but for the entire
cosmos. We are praying for peace for people, peace for animals, peace
for plants and rocks, peace for the sun and moon and stars. When praying
for peace we realize that peace is a gift of grace from heaven, and
this peace is beyond comprehension, for it is the peace of Christ. It is “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7)”.
True peace is bound up in the
sacrificial offering of Christ on the cross. Peace is interdependent
with sacrifice. The services of the Church bring us into the atmosphere
of peace, for this peace comes from God. Peace can enter the world only
if it takes root in the hearts of humans, and this peace requires
sacrifice. The transformation of the cosmos begins with you. Peace
enters the universe when it takes root in your heart.
This article was posted on January 15, 2012 on The Morning Offering which can be found here: http://morningoffering.blogspot.com/
