Peace Surpassing Understanding

Helen Keller famously said, “I do not want the peace that passes understanding, I want the understanding that brings peace.”  Leo Tolstoy said, “Let us forgive each other -- only then will we have Peace.”  John Fitzgerald Kennedy said, “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.”  Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

Will you pray with me?  “Dear God, Jesus said, ‘My peace I give to you.’  Today, we dare to claim Christ’s gift of peace. Amen.”

Paul says, “Do not worry, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.”    Now listen how The Message Bible translates these same verses: 

6 Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.

7 Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Imagine that!  Instead of worrying, pray! 

But now let’s tackle the question at the center of this passage.  How could anything, much less peace, surpass understanding?  Could this mean peace that is deeper than our thinking mind?  Can peace be so deep that it touches our wholeness, peace that is not just in our mind, but also in our hearts and souls and body as well?  How could peace be this deep and powerful?

Well, let’s think a moment about the most powerful things in your life.  The birth of a child.  Marriage to one we deeply love.  For me, ordination.  For you, perhaps the fulfillment of a life-long dream.  Stop for just a moment and remember the fullness you felt in your body, soul and spirit in that very powerful moment.  At that time, you experienced something that surpassed your understanding, something that came out of your complete self, deeply connected to your very soul.  Now Paul says that this type of deep soul connection, a heart-body-soul-mind meld, is possible in our spiritual lives as peace that goes beyond, or surpasses understanding.   How can we reach this peace Paul promises that God will provide?

Do we have to work hard to gain this peace beyond understanding?  Follow all the rules?  Be the best little boys and girls in the world?  Tithe?  Abstain from worldly pleasures?  No.  Paul mentions none of these things, although some Christians for centuries have said these things are the way to God.  Instead, let’s listen again to what Paul says is the secret of connection our very heart, body, mind and soul in God’s peace:  “Do not worry, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.”   

Now, I don’t know what you think, but the thought of rejecting worry, and instead, using prayer and thanksgiving as the way to complete peace is very counter-cultural.  Our modern society and culture is focused on the illusion that we can control everything, organize, manage, and have complete dominion over our lives.  Experience shows us this just is not so.  We cannot control when disease strikes, when death visits us, when accidents befall us, or when natural disasters beset us.  Hurricanes and earthquakes and tsunamis and lightning all strike as they may, they all completely ignore our illusion of control.  Those of us here who have had cancer or other serious medical problems have lived this truth.  Sometimes, stuff just happens.  And if we are in the way, it happens to us.

Now listen again to what Paul says:   “Do not worry, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ Jesus.”   
Does Paul say pray to God that God will fix your problems?  Does Paul say that through prayer that we can control God and the world?  No.  Paul says don’t worry, pray to God, be thankful, and you will gain God’s complete peace.  Paul teaches another counter-cultural truth here: prayer changes us.  Prayer may or may not change our circumstances, but this passage says prayer has the power to change us!  Through prayer and thanksgiving, we can achieve complete inner peace, even as the world chaotically rages around us.  This is world-shaking news.  Prayer changes us, enabling us to gain the complete peace of God in this crazy, uncontrollable world.  We can’t control the world, but we can control whether we surrender to God’s peace.

The 23rd Psalm tackles this same concept.  Listen with new ears:  “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me.”  This comforting Psalm says we will all have dark valleys in our lives, and we must walk through them.  Prayer does not make the dark valleys go away, but, but, instead, God promises to walk with us through the dark valleys.  This is good news!  If we really believed this, it would change our prayers, wouldn’t it?  Instead of praying, “Please God, make the dark valley go away!” our prayers would become “Help me through this dark valley, God.  I trust you are with me, give me strength to keep walking with you by my side.”    If we ask God to remove the dark valleys and they still remain because stuff happens in life, we don’t gain peace, but instead frustration and hurt.  But, if we are confident that God will walk with us in the valley, no matter how dark, if we ask with thanksgiving that God stay with us and comfort us in the dark valley, then we can gain the peace that passes all understanding because we know God is with us, no matter what.  Then peace, even in the dark valley and in chaotic circumstances, then the peace of God’s love and constant presence will embrace us fully, regardless of our circumstances, and we will gain the peace that surpasses all understanding.

 Now, we need to spend a moment on the idea and concept of peace here.  The peace in this verse is not just the peace that comes from lack of conflict.  This peace is the full, all-encompassing confident serenity of knowing that we are accompanied by the loving presence of God, even in the midst of worldly disorder.  This is the peace of our relationship with God.  This is the peace that grows out of love and relationship and confidence in Christ.  Our Jewish friends name this comprehensive and embodied peace shalom, the full peace of right-relationship, belonging, identity and covenant.  This peace does not just happen.  It comes through habit, through discipline, through discipleship and through love.

Emerson said this same thing when he said, “Watch your thoughts. They become words. Watch your words. They become deeds. Watch your deeds. They become habits. Watch your habits. They become character. Character is everything."  As Christians, we would say, “Watch your thoughts—they become prayers.  Watch your prayers, they become your relationship with God.  Watch your relationship with God because it becomes your life.  Watch your life, because it becomes the peace of God, through your relationship with Christ, which is everything.”  So, instead of praying “O woe is me, God fix my life!” pray this instead, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I know you are here with me, and that is what really matters.  Give me strength to endure.”  This type of prayer changes everything.

Now, I want you to imagine the thing that is troubling you the most in your life right now.  A disease perhaps, or a troubling circumstance, a bad situation, a terrible argument, money troubles—whatever vexes you the most right now.  Stop for a moment and imagine this thing that is blocking your life from being filled with God’s peace.  [pause]  Hold this thing that is blocking you, this dark valley in your life, and imagine a prayer about this thing that blocks your peace.  Will you pray with me?

“Dear God, this thing that I am struggling with is my darkest valley right now.  I want so badly for it to just go away, but today, I want to pray for something else.  Instead of asking you to make the hurt go away, I ask that you comfort me, reassure me, remind me that I am your child, and that you are my God.  Dear God, be close to me as I walk through this dark valley.  Let me feel the warmth of your breath on my soul.  I am so thankful for your love!  Snuggle up to me and remind me that you will always be at my side, no matter what.  Remind me that I can always depend on your love and presence, regardless of the circumstances.   Thank you, God.  Please change my heart and mind so that I am no longer afraid of this dark valley.  As I struggle with this dark shadowy place, implant in my heart the peace that surpasses understanding.  Teach me that your love is stronger than my fear, God.  I thank you for your love.  Be with me, walk with me and love me, saturate me in your complete peace, and I will no longer be afraid.   Amen.”

Phil 4:4-9  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.