Peace, Love, and Flower Power
“Peacemaking doesn’t mean passivity. It is the act of interrupting mirroring injustice, the act of disarming the evil without destroying the evildoer, the act of finding a third way that is neither fight nor flight, but the careful, arduous pursuit of reconciliation and justice. It is about a revolution of love that is big enough to set both the oppressed and the oppressors free.”
Common Prayer: A Liturgy for the Ordinary Radical
My niece went through a hippie, tie-dye, bohemian, ragamuffin, dress herself, quite amazingly I might add, phase. This was when she was five or six. She would style things that you wouldn’t think of putting together, and proceeded to look like she walked right out of a magazine, like these clothes were MADE to go together. (She still is pretty fabulous 😉, I can say that because I am her aunt) During this time she also acquired the American Girl doll, Julie, so lots of 1970s lingo became her lingo. Hence, the title of this post. When we would say our goodbyes it would always include, “Peace, Love, and Flower Power!”
Peace, as the world attempts to define it, is not comforting to me. I don’t know about you, but nothing about decisions or actions being made at the moment lead me to feel any type of peace or comfort. Between the complete chaos of healthcare and dismantling of medical research and funding, to the outright arrogance and to the blatant ignorance of people who “represent” us in various ways. I’ll admit I am still shaking and on fire from something I just heard. Our leaders are discussing types of grass and the health of the grass at the White house and parks. They are also discussing marble and the quality that needs to be placed in certain buildings. And there are actual BILLS being passed in Congress for these things. Yes, I am angry. The health insurance I was told last November that I would have for a year, well, it will cut my doctors off in October. And the life saving vaccines and medical research that protect and save lives have been striped, gone. Years of research, testing, labs, in the trash! Out of all the doctors and specialists I have seen in my 37 years, I could guarantee you that the majority of them have been in on these ongoing research projects. And now all that has been dumped in the trash. You kidding me? The amount the government is taking away is tragic, but the research that will go to waste because there will be no funding to proceed, is catastrophic! We are talking lifetimes worth of research! And I am just one person. I go to one medical research hospital and clinics. This is happening to millions! I have family that have helped and can help. What makes me the most perturbed? Those who don’t have a chance to know what’s about to happen to their health care, because they are doing all they can to keep their head above water. They are choosing each day that they will do today, because that’s all they have the energy or money or food or strength for. The kids that have no control over who is in office making these bizarre, non-factual decisions.
Deep Breath. If you can’t tell, my brain is in rapid fire mode today, and it is exhausting. One thought on top of another and another. Somedays are just like this. I am scum. I am a sinner. I am nothing without surrendering all of me to God. I fail daily, but He is always there to accept my surrender. Humble Yourselves, is what James 4 calls us to do. I can’t point to everything someone else is doing and not turn my finger back to myself. I’ll admit, this is a really hard thing to do when we are surrounded by leaders who are self-absorbed. But they also have no peace, and it shows!
There is very little, if any, peace you can find in the world. Maybe some slices or slivers of peace. But right at my computer I have this verse: 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” I repeat this verse to myself in times of anxiety, panic, or fear. When I feel uncertainty arising in my mind and body, the ONLY thing that will calm my mind and slow my heart rate, is the name of Jesus. I don’t lie about serious things like this! Jesus, deep breath in, Jesus, exhale, over and over. And then, “you are not a God of confusion, but of peace. Comforter. Healer. Provider…” Go through everything He is to me. That is my peace. He is my peace. He is the only one who can give 100% peace, 100% hope.
I love Jesus. I have studied Revelation. I unfortunately am from the “Left Behind” generation, and I admit I have had and continue to work hard through some of the not so Biblical imagery it left in my brain. These movies and books were NOT given or shown to me by my parents- just to be very clear. I was a kid who just happened to be a student, a friend in the times these things were popular. Obviously these did not give me peace, and still trouble me to this day. If you want to talk banned books or movies, I’ll start with these, my apologies to any one who benefited from these. I mention these because as I grew and discovered 1 Corinthians 14:33 and other verses, I realized the Jesus I fell in love with when I was little and had followed, was not someone who would want to scare the poo out of me about the day I would meet him face to face. Quite the opposite, He would want me to have peace, peace that only comes from him, which doesn’t include fear or confusion. A peace that comes with unconditional love. A peace that surpasses all my understanding. A peace that I have felt and known when others have ran ahead into heaven. You see I have never feared death, I knew it was possibility at anytime, especially being around kids in the children’s hospital and clinics. I’ve never viewed the word “death” as doom and gloom. Of course, I have been really sick and close to passing out and this is not the greatest feeling in the world, there is definitely fear. But that’s why I tell everyone what to start doing if I get this way, it’s even in my bag I carry everywhere- so fyi, just say, “Breath Jesus” even if you have to yell it at me! 😊
As a wrap up of my brain’s scrambles today: I am struggling with leaders and policies. I am human. I also love Jesus. And He is greater than any struggle or battle we face. When I surrender He gives peace. Lay it all down. It’s not mine anyway. If a message, that is being taught as Biblical, is causing fear or anxiety within you, it’s okay to question, search – it may be that it’s a conviction, or it could be that it truly is going above and beyond to make a point, but that is no excuse for adding or taking away from the Word that is the absolute truth.
I don’t know how much power flowers have, but I do think that they are happy and colorful, so that makes them powerful to move hearts to be tender and kind. So, Peace, Love, and Flower Power, until next week!
Life Book of the Week: Miss Maple’s Seeds, by Eliza Wheeler
If you have questions about the Bible/or subject and need a place to start:
Some of my favorite “Teaching” DVDs, yes they are geared towards kids, but they have so much content! Check these out:
And if you are interested in what’s going on with policies and how it lines up with Constitutional Law:
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