When Will Peace Come

Jeremiah 28:5-9

The other day I was involved in a conversation that surrounded the question, "What does peace in the 21st century look like?" It was a good question, and the answers, comments, suggestions and ideas came from all angles. "No war." said one. "Justice for everyone." said another. "People being able to live without fear." said a third. All of them had reliable citations to make their arguments, and all of them argued their way was the right way.

Then, a quiet voice rang through, "How can we expect peace in the 21st century when we can't even come to a peaceful agreement here?" How quickly the discussion changed from "my ideas work best" to "You know, we really should find a way to work together."

I don't have the answer to living in peace in the 21st century, and my guess is not many people do. In fact, I'm not sure all of humanity can even agree on what peace looks like. And yet, Jeremiah gives us a glimpse into just what that might look like.

As we look back on history we can see how many people have spoken about where the world is headed - wars, civil disobedience, downfall of humanity, unethical paths within society, etc. When was the last time you actually heard someone say, "Our world is becoming more peaceful"?

The bible literalists will tell you this passage is a foreshadow of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. The bible historians will tell you it's possible Jeremiah may not have even wrote these words. I say who cares. The point Jeremiah is trying to make in this passage is that everyone who has a say, and is considered a person of some authority on the subject, is saying the world is in a mess and will continue to be so.

Where, Jeremiah is pointing out, are the voices of reconciliation, justice, unconditional acceptance, and love. Where is talk about peace?

Not everything is bad in the world. There are countless stories of good being done with and for others. Wells being built in Africa, schools for girls in the Middle East, the beginnings of wage equality in the States, and China finally coming to the realization it needs to move away from coal-related energy are just a minute fraction of the things going on around us. The question is why don't we hear about these stories instead?

Because, in my opinion, there's no profit in peace. Jimi Hendrix once said, "If we could overcome the love of power, we will finally be able to see the power of love." His voice, too, goes unheard, just as did Jesus'. Jesus spoke about living in a world where all were treated fairly, where people would take care of those who need it, of bringing down the religious and socio-economic barriers which separated us. Why, then, 2000 years later it's only gotten worse?

Jeremiah leaves us with a thought, as will I - when will the prophesy spoken by those who speak peace finally come true?