He Himself is your peace

Ephesians 2:14
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility

I just can't get this past week's worship theme out of my head. Sunday night/Monday morning was miserable at my house. Two kids with croup. I almost called 911 because I thought one of my kids was going to quit breathing. Considering I am usually on the other side of 911 (as a firefighter/emt) this was intense for me. I didn't call 911 and the kids are doing well now, but I got about 2 hours of sleep that night I think and had no peace.

Then Monday morning I listened to a news briefing that covered some tragedy from the weekend. 9 dead, 20 shot in Oregon, 19 left dead and a hospital destroyed in Afghanistan as Taliban lures US forces into a battle, more rape and killing in Syria from the group called the Islamic State.

As if I wasn't emotionally drained enough now I had to decide how to deal with the reality of this terrible weekend news report. I was confronted with an option at that moment. Put my head in the sand and just drive down the road and put on some shallow music that would make me feel better. Or remember again our theme from Sunday morning worship. "He himself is our peace" and He came into this mess in part to change it, in part of save it and for sure, to give us hope amidst the mess.

He really is our peace. Despite horrendous and senseless murder. Despite a world that at times reflects nothing of its creator as rape, murder, and tragedy fill the headlines, He, that is Jesus, is our peace. He took away the gap between creature and creator. He is the only eternal hope our world will ever know. So, Christian, reflector of Jesus, how will you reflect today to others that HE HIMSELF IS YOUR PEACE? What will you do in the face of such evil that surrounds us? Will you put your head in the sand? Or will you be a messenger sent to proclaim that in Him you have peace and that others are invited to this as well. In a world that is often times the opposite of peace, we have the best news in the world!

Psalm 67:1-3
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!