Peace Comes From Healing Cracks In The Soul

by Eric Elkin

“The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

— Luke 10: 2

Is it appropriate to call driveway maintenance a "necessary evil"? Probably not if you consider evil an issue of morality. Driveways cannot commit immoral acts. But then again, my driveway does seem to have a mind of its own. And its mindset is one of self-destruction. If we do not fix it soon, we will need to make a significant investment to get the driveway operational.

If you have ever owned a home with a paved driveway, you know what I am talking about. The perfection of an asphalt driveway lasts about 12 months. Then, you begin to see cracks in the pavement. If left unattended, water gets into those cracks. When the temperatures turn cold, the water freezes, turning the crack into a crevice. A homeowner needs to make regular repairs to avoid a catastrophe.

Why am I so schooled in this field of repair? Because I am the homeowner who left his driveway unattended and is now paying the price. This is my first paved driveway. I didn't realize the problems I created by not doing regular maintenance. When I read Jesus' words this morning, "The harvest (aka work) is great, but the workers are few," my driveway came to mind.

“Instead of hating the people you think are war-makers, hate the appetites and disorder in your own soul, which are the causes of war. ”

— Thomas Merton

My driveway is in dire need of some biblical peace. That may sound funny, but it is true. Peace in the Bible is about making something whole, like a stone without a crack or a wall with no gaps. My driveway needs the peace of being made level and sealed. When these two things happen, water will be less likely to work its way in and destroy the surface. Our cars will have a safe place to travel, and the yard will be protected from foreign material.

As I write this description, it feels like I am talking about my soul. Not that my soul is in the same state as my driveway, but my soul needs regular maintenance. I need the cracks produced by anxiety and fear filled with love. The kind of love that comes from outside my own heart. When the cracks are repaired, it would also be nice for them to be sealed as well.

Sometimes, the conditions of the world, like news from Gaza, can make life feel like it is eroding. It might sound strange to think humility can level off and repair the gap left by this type of erosion, but it can. Humility, understanding that I am in the Maker's hands and not left alone on a pale blue dot, can give me peace. If you are honest, it will give you peace as well.

I am one person, but I am not alone. Every soul on this planet is in need of regular repair. That is a lot of soul work on a planet with 8 billion people. This is why Jesus said, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few." So consider this reflection a call to action. An invitation for you to see the repair you need and to see how you can help others as well. Be careful not to fix people, though. The work they need is the sharing of peace.

Click to read: Luke 10: 1-9