Peace Is A Practice, Not A State
When You Do Peace, Your Soul Finds Calm
by Eric Elkin
On Christmas Eve 1968, the Apollo 8 spacecraft fired up its engines and pushed into the lunar orbit. The move allowed the Apollo 8 to come within 70 miles of the moon's surface. The journey was the farthest any human being in history had ever traveled. All the people of the Earth were glued to their televisions to watch the historic journey. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders were the first humans ever to record pictures of the surface of the moon.
The purpose of the mission was to gather as much information as possible about the moon. The astronauts were like little children in a candy store as they raced across the surface of the moon. They took pictures like they were on a family vacation. Despite the excitement, the ever-present reality was pressing their minds: Would we be able to get back home?
A strange thing happened on the way around the moon. What was intended to be an exploration of the Earth's satellite turned into a life-changing view of Earth. As Apollo 8 circled the lunar surface, the astronauts were drawn to the horizon where the Earth was rising like the sun. The image took the astronaut's breath away. Bill Anders boldly decided to use film dedicated to moon images to photograph the Earth.
The result was one of the most powerful images ever captured on film. For the first time, every living person could see their planet as it was intended to be seen. The Earth was a magnificent blue and white sphere gently floating in a field of darkness. It was so small Jim Lovell could take his thumb and cover the entire planet. 5 billion people and everything they were doing could be hidden behind one man's thumb.
The image of the Earth was an emotional end to a challenging year. The United States was tearing itself apart. Protests against the war in Vietnam were getting more violent. News was emerging of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, where American troops murdered unarmed civilians. Gunmen assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The entire planet seemed out of control and on the verge of collapse. As congregations gathered to sing, "Sleep in heavenly peace," a picture gave more profound meaning to the song. Perhaps there was hope resting in the deep darkness.
Fifty-five years later, the people of Earth have not learned any lasting lesson. Wars rage, both large and small, on nearly every continent. Even where peace seems to hold its own, anger and hatred threaten the sense of calm. We still remain as committed as ever to destroying ourselves and our planet. The words of Isaiah become, to me, a prayer petition I call out to God, "Let us walk in the light of the Lord!"
Here is the thing we need to remember this day. We do not need to find government funds to build a rocket. Nor do we need to travel 10,537 miles to discover the light of the Lord. The peace God promises, the peace God brings in Jesus, is near and very simple to grasp. Isaiah does more than give us words to pray. The prophet shows us how to walk in the light of the Lord. He tells us to wash and make ourselves clean by learning to do good - "seek justice; rescue the oppressed; defend the orphan; plead for the widow." Essentially, Isaiah tells us to stop taking pictures of ourselves and turn the camera to the needs of others. In the lives of those in need, we will see the light of the Lord rising on the horizon.
The lesson for this day is simple: don't just pray for peace, but work for it. We should always consider peace as a verb. It is something we should do and practice, not a state we seek to visit. When you do peace, your soul finds calm. So consider what small act you can do this Christmas season to bring peace to someone else's life. I guarantee you the light of the Lord will appear on your horizon, and you will see its beauty.
Click to read Isaiah 2: 1-5
Reflection Questions:
What is an act of peace you can do?
How can seeing others help put your life into a better perspective?
Where do you long for peace in your life?
Who needs peace in your life?