The Battle of Peace?

Yesterday we met up with our friends Tim and Jill… drinking coffee, walking through spring woodlands, beside South Walsham Broad… sitting in bird hides, watching a variety of birds… talking about our families, our churches The sun shone. It was peaceful. All was good.

Coming home to the Ukraine news… deaths, distress, injustice… ongoing battles…

Yesterday’s local paper featured Jack and Fiona Harper; their children, Arthur and Agnes came to our church Parent and Toddler group:

‘…this Lowestoft family are faced with the prospect of life without Jack as he continues to battle a rare form of cancer… ‘We are willing to try anything,’ Fiona said. ‘There is a lot of fight left in Jack…’The 36 year old is not ready to give up without a fight…’

A battle worth fighting…

Chatting to Simon… describing how he met his wife Sandra. He fell in love with ‘the most beautiful woman in the world’ and was amazed when she agreed to marry him. He was the proud and protective husband of his beautiful new wife… getting himself into several fights when he thought that other men were looking at her inappropriately…

A battle worth fighting?

Musing… I was brought up just after the Second World War. In our church we sung ‘Fight the Good Fight’ and ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’… We were taught: ‘Put on the whole armour of God so that you can take your stand against the Devil’s schemes.’ Battles we should fight…

Dad was a conscientious objector in the War… Jesus says: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.’ St Paul speaks of ‘The God of Peace,’ and says, ‘Live at peace with each other’…

Musing… ‘The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.’ (James 3:17-18)

Musing… Should we avoid battles… or engage in a ‘Battle of Peace’?