I tried reading WAR AND PEACE once. Emphasis on the word ‘tried’ – because I didn’t finish it. In my defence, I had young children at the time, was running my own business, and studying. So I probably didn’t give it the concentration I needed to. I’ll try again one day… I don’t like to be beaten π
But the title has always intrigued me. Are they opposites? Or just two different places on a continuum? (Jane Austen’s SENSE AND SENSIBILITY comes to mind.) Because I, for one, don’t think that the opposite of peace is war.
In my humble opinion, for what it’s worth, I think that the opposite of peace is tension.
And for me, ANY type of tension – even the merest hint of it – is enough to negate peace.
Maybe I’m not a good judge. I *am* a highly-strung person, I think. It’s on the rare occasion that I ‘relax’. Seriously. The last time I really “relaxed” was the 2nd of April, at about 10.30am. And I stayed relaxed for about 7 hours, which is rather a record in recent years. The time before that? I can’t actually remember.
[A Bible verse that always challenges me is the one they made a song out of: “Be still and know that I am God.” I get the ‘I am God’ bit – it’s the ‘being still’ bit that I have problems with!!! (And yes, my tongue’s in my cheek there. Because if I ‘knew’ – enough to trust, like in the ‘B for Bread of Life post’ – then I’d be *able* to ‘be still’!)]
But back to peace:
Isaiah 9:6 says, βFor unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.β
Yes, this is the same verse that we saw in post #5, ‘E’ is for ‘Everlasting Father’, the post about my Dad.
The last title for Jesus is ‘Prince of Peace’.
I love thinking that Peace is like the name of a country – like Australia, or America, say – which has a King… and Jesus is the Prince of that country. (Although if there was a King, then it wouldn’t actually be a country, it’d be a kingdom, yeh?)
And if this kingdom called Peace, were here on Earth, then it’d have a geographical location, and people could live there. I’d like that, I think. To live in a place of Peace. To not have to worry – or be tense even! To just ‘be still’ π
And that’s my lesson today. If Jesus is what God says He is, the ‘Prince of Peace’, then as one who follows Him (as in, who dwells in His kingdom) then I can be free from tension, too. ‘Be still.’ A challenge for me! But here goes…
Have a great day, dear reader!
— KRidwyn
4 replies on “26 lessons from God’s metaphors: #16”
I like your explanation of the opposite of peace as tension. It encompasses many possibilities. I can relate to being “high strung,” but as I’ve gotten older, I am more at peace, too. I have better perspective about the things that really matter. Glenda from
Evolving English Teacher
Hi Glenda, and thanks for stopping by, and taking the time to comment π
Yes, I’m hoping to be more ‘at peace’. It’s a fairly slow work-in=progress, though!
What a great post, Kae. I like hearing different views that I hadn’t considered, and I like your version of the opposite of Peace. Well done.
Now, think back to April the second. Close your eyes and go there. If you found peace for seven hours on April the second, you can find it again. I know you can. And when you get to the place, set a marker for yourself so you can return whenever you want or need.
Oh John, you made me smile with this one! Thanks for that! π