There is an old folk tale about a king. He was a great
and wise ruler and he was getting very old. His final wish was to leave his
kingdom in the hands of his son, but he wanted to teach him one important
lesson before he died. He wanted his son to know that no matter what chaos
ensued, it was important for the king to stay focused and at peace within
himself. Dedication to serving his kingdom would bring a king inner peace that
could never be taken from him, no matter what the circumstances.
But the king's son did not seem capable of grasping
this concept. He believed that cunning and power were more important than inner
peace. So the king decided to demonstrate his point by calling upon all the
artists in the kingdom. He called his senior advisors and instructed them to
organize a painting competition. "The painter who is able to best
represent peace and serenity will win a great reward," said the king. The king also added another instruction, "Under no circumstances are you to
reject any work of art, however strange it appears or horror it should
cause."
Paintings came from every corner of the kingdom.
Scenes of marvelous beauty, of calm seas and clear skies, flocks of birds in
flight and other idyllic scenes were painted to evoke beauty and peace. And then,
in the midst of all the beauty, there appeared a most bizarre painting. Painted
in dark tones and with little light, it pictured a rough sea in the middle of a
storm. High waves were crashing violently against dark cliff rocks. The sky was
covered with dark clouds.
The senior advisors instructed the painting to be
placed in a dark corner of the exhibit, for they did not think it worthy of the
king's attention. It was only the memory of the king's instructions not to
discard any work that prevented them from simply throwing it away.
The day came for the competition. The king walked
the great exhibit hall looking carefully at every painting, his son at his
side. With each painting, the king seemed to get more and more morose. When asked
what he was thinking, he said that the paintings were beautiful but that there
was something lacking in every one of them. Finally, the king glanced at the
painting tucked in a dark corner. "Why is this painting tucked away?"
he asked. "Did I not instruct you to show me everything?" The
advisors claimed that this painting was obviously created by a lunatic who had
no understanding of peace, but the king was not listening. He walked up to the
picture and looked at it more closely than any of them had.
After a full minute of silence, the king exclaimed,
"This is the one!"
"My friends," he instructed his advisors
and his son, "you did not look closely enough."
The nobles approached the painting along with the
prince. The king showed them something tucked among the rocks. It was a small
nest where there was a newborn bird. The mother was feeding it, totally
detached from the storm taking place around her.
"Peace does not come from living in an ideal
world as it is reflected in the other paintings, with their calm seas and clear
skies. Peace is the capacity to keep your attention on what is a priority for
you, despite the difficult circumstances."
In 1776, fifty-six men signed the Declaration of
Independence. We look upon these men with admiration for their brilliance, but
they possessed something even more important.
Have you ever wondered what happened to them? Five were captured by the British, tortured and
killed. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned down. Two lost sons in the Revolutionary War. Two had sons
captured. Nine died from wounds in the Revolutionary War. They lost their property, went into hiding, their
spouses died, their children died. This was not a time of peace but a time of mass
chaos and war, and yet, in the midst of the darkness, a small but powerful idea
was born, the idea that all people are created equal and that they can govern
themselves. At the heart of the storm, there was this birth of inspiration, a
gift from God, the gift of a free nation.
In today's gospel, Jesus invites us to come to him
for rest. "Come unto me all you that travail and are heavy laden and I
will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for you will find
rest for your souls...you will find peace." Jesus, who himself was
crucified in a most brutal manner, offers peace to those who focus on him.
Jesus did not experience physical peace while he walked the earth. He had
people chasing him, needing him, arguing over him and even murdering him.
During his ministry, the only moments of quiet that he had were when he went away early in the morning to pray. But the peace that he was offering had
nothing to do with external circumstances. It had to do with dedicating your
life to God.
Our lives are crazy. Most of you are incredibly
busy. The economy has not fully recovered. We are afraid of what is happening
in the Middle East and especially Iraq. There are people all over the world who
hate Americans and would rather see us dead or at least failing in every way. The
storms of the world are brewing. We cannot even agree among ourselves as to
the best course of action. We are a nation divided and enslaved by fear.
And yet, Jesus claims that we can find peace in the
midst of the storm, if we only focus on him. And how do we look to him? We must
be willing to devote our lives and our entire focus to something greater than
ourselves. In the midst of the storms of life, we must be willing to tend to
the work of Christ and the birthing of his kingdom into the world. If we give
our lives for something greater than ourselves, though the world may crumble
around us, we will be at peace.
On September 19, 1789, an article addressed to
"The PEOPLE of the United States" appeared on the inside pages of the
American Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia's major newspaper. In this short
letter, George Washington explained that he would not stand for reelection as
President of the United States. Instead, amid all the chaos and uncertainty,
he would go home to rest at Mt. Vernon.
This man was called The Father of the Country. At
six foot four, he was regal. He was a war hero. He had it all and everyone felt
more secure with him at the helm. But George Washington understood that he was
following an ideal higher than his own ambition. And he understood that, if
democracy was to succeed, that a president should not serve for more than two
terms. And so, in the midst of the instability of a new and volatile country,
Washington went home.
In this day and age, our commercials make you think
that buying the best product or going to a spa will bring you calm and peace.
But that is not true. Peace does not come from finding a quiet place or
witnessing a beautiful sunset. Peace only comes when you nurture the birth of
something greater within your own soul, the service of God, the life of Christ.
You must give up your life for a burden even greater, something worth dying
for.
True freedom comes, ironically, when you give your
life away to something much greater. And then, even if the whole world caves in
around you, you will find rest for your soul.
Remember the hymn about the disciples and the peace
of God that they found? Here are the poetic words:
Contented, peaceful fishermen,
before they ever knew
the peace of God that filled their hearts
brimful, and broke them too.
Young John who trimmed the flapping sail,
homeless in Patmos died,
Peter, who hauled the teeming net,
head-down was crucified.
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.
