Seeking the Peace that Passes All Understanding: Part 1

Seeking Peace & Wholeness in a Troubled World

It is undoubtedly very challenging for all of us to feel any sense of earthly peace & calmness in the world we are living in these days. It cannot be denied that there is tremendous turmoil going on in the world at this time, with the ongoing Covid virus, the increasing conflict between people with diverse views, & open displays of building anger & fear including growing episodes of erupting violence. It is very unbalancing to say the least, to listen to the news updates day after day. There is what appears to be, a total lack of peace in the world at this time. This intense unsettledness creates negative effects on our whole being: body, mind and spirit, for it is impossible to ignore the negative turmoil & stress we are living with these days. In addition to the physical effects caused by this lack of peace, there appears to be a growing sense both emotionally & spiritually of depression, hopelessness, & fear among the population as we all face an unknown future. A great spokesperson once said: “We should not be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” However, as much as those words make sense & are wise, in the extremely unsettled times such as we are currently experiencing, it is challenging to not be afraid of a future that is unknown. Still, as I read of ancient religions that have grown & blended into current religions & spiritual beliefs of the day, I am aware that in essence, there is & always has been only one spiritual teaching. Although the various Spiritual teachings come in many forms, each view or form holds at its core, teachings & beliefs in the creative, transformative power of a Divine Spirit -a known God- who can heal & bring equanimity {peace & calm} into the hearts of the people of world. There exists a solid belief in the hearts of the people created by God, though sometimes unspoken or unrecognized, that regardless of what the earthly challenges may be, all things are possible through this known Divine Spirit, and therein lies hope for our troubled broken world. The question is, how does God’s peace come to us amidst all that is swirling around us in this world?

~Posted by Rev Kathryn Bindig, MDiv. MS; Pastoral Care Minister with assistance from Rich Muscatello; Director of Business Development & Strategy