Romans
12 just sent me a knockout punch, specifically verse 18. “If possible, as far
as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Anyone who has
known me for an extended period of time can attest that I came out of the womb
a fighter. Twisted Sister was singing “we’re not gonna take it” while I was
born fists first in true Irish fashion. (I’m just kidding about that last
sentence). So as you can imagine, I wanted to hear that Bible verse as much as
I wanted a gigantic hole in the head. As with any good fighter, when you
receive a knockout punch, you go back and analyze what went
wrong. The following is my thought process as it unfolded.
I know
I need this reminder. If this verse is true, that means my opinions and
preferences don’t matter if it’s bringing discord. How I feel doesn’t
matter. What I think doesn’t matter. What was promised doesn’t
matter. There are no “buts” at the end of this verse. It says live in peace,
period. As long as what I must do does not go against biblical morals, then I’m
required to keep the peace. Grrrrrr…I don’t like it.
Two
things come to mind, both related to trees. The first is an illustration from
one of Rob Bell’s books. He said to be “Like a tree, planted near water, with
deep roots. A storm comes and the tree doesn't break because it’s grounded
enough to bend”. The 2nd, is a story from Maria Durso’s life. Maria and her
husband planted a tree in their yard in NYC when they first bought their home.
Decades later, and now 60 feet tall, they loved that tree for the shade and
privacy it brought to their yard. One day Maria’s neighbors approached her
requesting that they would pay to have it cut down as it was damaging their
yards. Maria obliged and not only did she cut it down, but she paid for it
herself. No part of her wanted to see the tree go, but she knew what God stated
regarding living in peace with people.
It
must be noted that when you give to God you will never be left empty handed.
(Luke 6:38) Also, “giving” should not be limited to only monetarily in definition.
Here’s the thing. What the tree from the first illustration doesn’t
know is when the storms are raging and it’s bending and swaying painfully, the
wind is actually ridding it of all it’s dead parts. It’s being freed from
leaves that are no longer living; branches that have detached from the life
giving trunk and are weighing it down; and unwanted debris that settled in
which the tree grew accustomed to. The storm brings with it a new sense of life
that sometimes would not be realized any other way. What Maria didn’t know when
she cut down her beloved tree was that in doing so, her family and home was
saved. A few days later a tornado ripped through her neighborhood of NYC
uprooting trees from cement and leaving homes severely damaged. Pain carries with
it, life. There is purpose in living at peace with everyone, as it is the
fertile ground for contentment to grow.
