"Piece by Peace"

Examine these lyrics by legendary Folk pioneer Woody Guthrie.


"My Peace"
(Words by Woody Guthrie, Music by Arlo Guthrie)


My peace my peace is all I’ve got that I can give to you
My peace is all I ever had that’s all I ever knew
I give my peace to green and black and red and white and blue
My peace my peace is all I’ve got that I can give to you

My peace, my peace is all I’ve got and all I've ever known
My peace is worth a thousand times more than anything I own
I pass my peace around and about ‘cross hands of every hue;
I guess my peace is justa ‘bout all I’ve got to give to you

If only it were that simple Woody! Make no mistake, the inate human longing for peace, love, and harmony is perhaps the most noble of ideas, in theory. But that's the problem, its only a theory. Its a bad case of "if only" syndrome. "If only this or that would happen." It cannot only be "if", but also "how?".

What a wonderful world it would be if all people from all walks of life would simply love and respect each other! Sadly, the notion of peace in and of itself is nothing more than a fleeting "pipe-dream". The catalyst of  war (and its rumors), murder, rape, robbery, and every other evil has nothing to do with the tangible world. The origins of evil have everything to do with the utter brokenness of the human heart. Some say evil is just "the nature of the beast". On the contrary, evil exists because we all posses the most beastly of nature.

No treaty, restriction, ideal, propaganda or fantasy will ever fix the broken light bulb in our darkened souls. No cleverly worded statement will ever mask the fact that we cannot have outer peace until we on the inside are pieced together, and the only remedy for that fracture is Jesus Christ.He is the only "how" in the question of "How do we have peace on earth?" There is  no other way.

Until this profoundly simple truth is accepted, the same viscous and deadly cycle will occur, with the names simply changed, until kingdom come (and it will come). The most vile of atrocities will continue to unravel until we all figure this one out. There's no getting around it. 

When philosopher and theologian G.K. Chesterton was asked, "What's wrong with the world?" he simply replied, "I am. Yours truly, G.K. Chesterton." I am whats wrong with the world. You are what's wrong with the world.

You see, we would all like to talk of the way things should be. But human nature will always destructively triumph over good intentions or high hopes. Christ is the only answer. Only he can reshape the shapeless.

Our world will never fully experience or understand true peace until the human heart is put back together, piece by broken peace, through Jesus Christ.

 

Would you rather: Coffin or Chaos?

I'm sure that some of you remember the good ol' game of  Would Your Rather. You remember, it was that boredom fueled game in which someone presented you with two TERRIBLE scenarios and the infamous question when then be asked. One example would be as follows. Would you rather drink a bottle of Windex, or get your head stuck in the bowling-ball return (I know that both of these options sound incredibly tempting)?

Sometimes I feel that in the overall American church, many well intentioned Christians are forced to play the not so friendly game of "Would You Rather" theology. Just a clarification, I am in no way bashing the Church. I have been apart of the body of Christ for many years and will be the first to raise my hand in my admittance of being severely flawed. However, I have noticed a trend, especially in many American churches. It seems that there are so many denominations today that each individual street-corner church could possibly create there own sub-set of Christianity. I understand that we have differences in minor issues and have no problem with  different points of view. The trend that I have seen lately is that many different sets of Christianity seem to focus solely on one aspect of God's personality, thus making their theology extremely one-sided and skewed. Again I am not pointing a finger, but I am scratching my head.

For instance, many Christians tend to focus exclusively on the grace and mercy of God, and for good reason (we would be DEAD without it). But when that's the only lens in which we view the Lord  God seems to become like the "fun uncle" of the cosmos who lets anything go. The result becomes a very messy and subjective lifestyle. On the other hand, some others view and focus only on the wrath and anger of God. God has every right to be angry with the rebellion of men. Justice is an extremely necessary aspect of God's character. However, if God is mostly viewed as an angry tyrant, then there is a dangerous amount of ritualistic religion that sucks the life out of a Christian worldview. I truly believe that we must view God's gambit of characteristics as a whole without a particular bias, lest we become narrow minded and stuck. If God is only graceful, then he's kind of a pushover with no moral compass. Everything becomes complete chaos. If he is just angry and wrathful, then we will always set him off and disappoint him in our minds, and in turn, live an unrealistic and unattainably perfection-driven lifestyle. That lifestyle leaves us about as dead as a doornail. You would be better off getting some change of address forms and moving in to a nice cozy coffin with a spiritual flat-line.

To sum it up, it seems that our own human tendancies tend to tap us on the shoulder and ask "Would you rather live in a coffin, or float around in utter chaos?" To be honest, I'd rather not do either. Love God for his entire being, not one side of him. Thank goodness he doesn't view only one aspect of us, because chances are that any part of us would probably be tainted by some sort of sin. I think I would rather worship God for allowing me to view and know him at all, plus, I have never been a fan of Windex or bowling.

"When the Breeze Shoots Back"

Have you ever been outside as the wind slowly dances around all that lay before you? It is almost like the breeze is a whisper of things to come. It is no wonder why the wind is such a key element in both literal and figurative language.Countless phrases such as "the winds of change" and "chasing the wind" hint at this invisible, but ever so present phenomenon. The breeze was the very life blood of global exploration.For without it, even the mightiest of vessels in any armada would be found utterly useless, left to merely sulk in the waves. I personally feel that when the wind blows, it means something is wayward to meet us. But I also feel that we as humanity have either chased the wind or shot the breeze out of context, both rendering us stuck in the muck and mire. Allow me to expound. It seems that our dreams are these "just out of reach" scenarios that we feel we must constantly be running towards i.e. chasing the wind. We feel that if we could just do what we love, we would be happy. Even other aspects such as having social lives,sleep,money, and pleasure are embodied in this whimsical breeze of desire. On the other hand, some take the exact opposite approach. Rather than chasing the wind, some will just "shoot the breeze" and let life just "happen". Make no mistake, if any of us merely "shoot the breeze" for too long, that breeze is obligated by the very laws of nature to shoot back,and rest assured, the consequences will be dire. Both of these schools of thought are flawed. If one exclusively chases the wind of happiness through pleasure, people, or even purpose, then the lessons learned through the every day "mundane" moments will be negated(even though no moment is mundane if treated as irreplaceable).With the same token, just "hangin out" and doing nothing with what was placed inside of us is flawed as well.There is no shame in resting our souls which are bound to be tired. But a constant "ready, aim and fire" at the breeze of a well rested frame of mind is a ticking time bomb(with only seconds to spare). In all truth, we should not be chasing nor shooting. The only thing to do is to seek... and we will find the maker of the wind, the designer of our destiny, and the lover of our souls. Find the constant one, whom is the Lord our God, and all these other things shall fall together.God is the only constant, pure, and holy fulfillment in this life.Seek the constant one, and he will constantly be one with you. Only when this happens will things fall,not apart, but together.

"The 9th Street Complex"

It was a cold,dark night in the unnamed metropolis. Among the many abandoned shops, clubs, and taverns stood a lonesome apartment building, which had such a notorious reputation that even law enforcement would occasionally turn a blind eye. "What is the point of this description?",some may ask. You see, although the area surrounding this apartment building was dark, decaying, and desolate, this particular night held an even more severe danger for those inside. For reasons unknown, the 9th street apartment complex was ferociously and hopelessly ablaze. Yes, it was completely set aflame, leaving hundreds of lives at stake.As the inferno ensued, an optimist drove by and gazed upon the sight."Well, that's such a hazard , but at least the flames will keep people outside warm and give us some light in this darkness." And with that he drove away. As fiery predicament continued, a pessimist walked by and also took a glance at this spectacle of a fearsome act.Shaking his head he thought to himself,"Of all the things this dump of a town needs, we have this? How many more bad things have to happen in this ghost town for someone to get this horrid place's act together? Some fire department we have, or should I say, don't have. What a crying shame" With one more look of disapproval, the pessimist walked away, mumbling to himself in disgust. As the flames grew larger, and while most of the building caught ablaze, an intellectual beheld the fiasco from his fourth story apartment window, only two blocks away."My my my." said the seasoned existential veteran."How can the owner of that building be so neglectful? He probably has a primitive mindset. You know, I would be willing to stake my entire reputation that he would have averted this issue entirely, had he simply taken any course with deductive reasoning. I pity that fool and his folly, which has become his downfall." With that last breath of condescension, the intellectual shut his blinds and returned to his thesis. At this point, the 9th street complex was hanging by its last thread, as rubble slowly trickled down like a dam on the brink of cataclysm. With no public safety anywhere in sight, the engulfed remnant of civility was reaching the end. While taking a reflective stroll, a man named Christian caught a view of the glowing powder keg that lay before him. With no time to speak, think, or hypothesize, Christan bolted to the base of the building and saw that the main entrance had been barricaded and locked. He frantically shoved the debris out of the way and broke the lock. As he swung the door open, he was nearly trampled as a sea of terrified people burst from the building. Like a happy ending movie, the frantic brood fled the flames just as the building collapsed on itself like a dying star. As the fire department arrived, the scene underwent damage control.Many  hours went by, and as the rubble was searched, it was concluded that nine people lost their lives, twenty two were injured, and miraculously two hundred and ninety one people were saved by our hero's deed. No one knows who started the fire and barricaded the door, or why. And even though nine people tragically passed away, all would have been lost had it not been for the opening of the door. In all actuality, bad things will happen in a world of darkness and despair. Was there a bright side to this? Yes(hundreds were saved). Was there a downside to this? Yes(some perished). Were there intellectually charged mindsets that could come in to question regarding the one in charge? Yes(maybe the landlord was an apathetic type who didn't have increasing entrance security on his "to do" list ). But did any of the three spectators move beyond these ideas? No. If we as humans do not use our gambit of logic and reasoning to do something that actually illuminates the darkness, then our minds and motives are useless;Utterly, and totally useless.This life has ups, downs, shallows, and deeps.And there will be problems on every valley and every street. But the essence of Christ is not to just think. It is think, feel, and do, when despair is at the brink.

"Check Your Vital Signs"

Take a glance with me,if you will, into a place not so different from our globe, and at the same time, worlds apart. It is a place where thunder strikes and lighting resounds, and where left seems right and up looks down. It is the place where that sense of joy, passion, and purpose is wrapped around you like a coat on a winter evening.It is the "(sur)reality" that lives in the wishful thinking compartment of each one of our minds. This place looks so flawless as we live in our "real job" lives. As if where we are now is just a temporary circumstance as we wait in limbo for the next door to be unlocked (this is not to say that our dream doors will never open, but knocking and waiting is far different from breaking and entering). As if to say that, if or when we ever reach this promised land of purely blissful meaning in our lives, we will then feel as if we have "done"something .But when we snap out of that trance, and into the here and now, we will find that the ever evasive figment of our masquerading purpose has long since alluded us.My friends, we have got it all wrong. That road sign in our mind that says "Next Stop Happiness in 2 miles(or years)" is nothing but a fabrication. The true measure of purpose in this life is not when we feel we are changing the world, but rather when we seize the day (even the boring ones) when life seems to be on auto pilot. By no means does this state that we are not to constantly and fervently pursue every day with passion and vigor, and to dream like we will never wake,but if we are simply living for glorious moments, then we will surely be let down. The world will only change, when we live this life as if we are alive. A world on life support does not need another empty worded quack of a doctor with no power, it needs to be cured of its disease. That cure is only given from people who are living "alive". So check your vital signs and do not chase a fairy tale state of mind, which only dangles a carrot in front of you.Instead, make a normal day a day you will never forget, not because a choir of angels sang from the heavens as you unlocked your mirage of a destiny, but because you simply lived (and will continue to live) every good, bad, and ugly moment here on this earth with your entire heart on the line. Do not change the world, change your heart, and the world will soon follow.

"A Beautiful Storm in the Neighborhood"

There is something about a storm gently rumbling in the distance that speaks so deeply to me. Whenever the occasion arises, I love to sit back  and reflect on how is much more then simply thunder and lightning approaching. My perception has always been somewhat unorthodox when it comes to the weather.When the air is windy, and there not a blue in the sky, most people feel doom and gloom, but I find pure inspiration. Maybe it's Gods unique way of speaking to me through storms and clouds. I love to simply sit and watch a cosmic thundershower unfold in my little corner of the universe. Of course, rarely does anything occur in nature that does not have a deep spiritual undertone attached at its hip. But what is the underlying theme in a handful of individual's strange love for the overcast? I am slowly realizing that it is all intertwined with how we as people should deal with what is traditionally looked at as "storms". The typical mind, when greeted in the morning with the soft rays of sunlight will most likely think,"Today is gonna be good.", but there are a few of us who feel just the opposite. I guess what I am hinting at is the fact that what we typically think of as a good day doesn't have to be limited by absence of clouds(both tangible and abstract). Our day truly is what we make of it, as cliche as it seems. All in all, I cannot get enough of being under the overcast. Some may say you can only look on the bright side of life when the sun is there to greet you. I say, when the clouds gather for a friendly cosmic "meet and greet", the beautiful strokes of lightning offer some brilliantly crafted light of their own.

"And I Quoted"

  What is it about a famous quote that can so profoundly inspire us with a few words in between some punctuation? Is it the cleverly worded phrases or the strongly worded sentences? I honestly don't think it's that simple. I believe that what makes the countless "pen to paper" legacies so profound is that they are simply thoughts conveyed with unfiltered and unbiased sincerity. Every human is perfectly capable of saying "Today is a beautiful day.", but the possibilities of how the day is beautiful to YOU or I are as limitless as the shapes of a snowflake. I'm pretty sure we have all had enough of people saying the same things, in the same way to the tune of the same broken record. I dare you...no triple dog dare you( yes, I went there) to speak your mind without fear of failure or unoriginality, because there just may be someone waiting to hear what only you can say, which might just change their life forever . You don't have to be a professor at Oxford in your mid sixties to say something worth placing between quotation marks. Just simply say what only you can say, and only how you can say it. You have a voice, you might as well make it official. #AndIQuot(ed)