Calvary Episcopal Church
Memphis, Tennessee
THE CHRONICLE
November 16, 2003
Vol. 48, No. 40

The Peace Of God …
We are now headed for Advent, which, besides being about preparing for Christmas, is about the end of the world as we know it. The readings for this day make that clear. Cataclysms, false prophets, great destruction except for those whose names are “written.”

I am not comfortable with these scriptures. Those who wrote them would be
pleased. The power and truth of God’s Word are not meant to be comfortable.
Advent says that if we spend our whole lives living in the “life of the flesh,” (that
does not mean exactly what it seems to say, but you get the idea) and give no heed to our spiritual self, we will take no comfort in things spiritual when we need them. That is not comfortable news. Advent, then, is a “heads up,” an early (we hope) warning message that says we should live a balanced life that gives some time, energy and resources to spirituality, and to opening ourselves to the presence of God in the world and in our lives.

These days are complicated. Our Church is going through a rough patch which will
probably last quite a while. The same can be said for our country. A lot of folks are
anxious and uncertain about the future. Even the improvement in the economy is
received with a wary and cautious eye.

But the “world,” the things of the flesh, has never contained the peace for which our soul longs. The problems change, the causes of anxiety change, but the solution remains the same: slow down, pray some, listen a lot, read about God and God’s love, open yourself to God’s love, receive nurture, and grow, grow within. That is a good regimen, because today’s problems may disappear but always seem to be replaced by others. Our peace needs to come from God.

Faithfully,
Bill Kolb

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