Finding Inner Peace
Rest Stop (Easter) … is this real?
He is risen! He is not in the tomb! Can this be true? Could Jesus rise from the dead!? This morning is the beginning of a new chapter for the apostles and for those who put faith in the person of Jesus. The person whom they thought was dead is no longer in the tomb! What does this all mean?!
Can you even imagine the feelings of the apostles? Just a week ago the twelve apostles, with Jesus, triumphantly entered Jerusalem. All was right with the world! What could go wrong? Then, on Thursday, one of their own, Judas, hands Jesus over to the Romans who then kill him the next day! But just a few days ago, scared and confused, the apostles are in hiding. What do we do when we are scared? Can you understand why the apostles fled and hid? I’m not trying to justify their actions, but trying to understand them.
Sunday morning, while the apostles are in hiding, some of the women followers excitedly enter their hiding spot screaming that the body of Jesus is missing from the tomb! Wait, that’s not all; they saw an angel who told them Jesus was alive! What?!
In a matter of days the apostles go from excitement to fear, to despair, to questioning their beliefs, to confusion to cautious optimism. Wow! Later, when Jesus appears to the apostles He does not reprimand them; rather, His first words are “Peace”.
What does this mean for us? In times of our lack of faith, when we feel shame about how we treat Jesus, we need to know that He is always there to welcome us back with a word; “peace”. We no longer need to hide in fear. We need to do what the apostles did; they left their hiding place and preached the risen Jesus to the world! Nothing short of a resurrection, with proof, could have taken away their fear. The apostles, without fear, now publicly preached that Jesus was the son of God risen from the dead. And for me, the only explanation for their new-found courage; they actually saw the risen Jesus.
Not too long ago the singing group “Fun” released their song “Carry On“. The song is one of perseverance, and while not written as a religious song, I feel it very well grasps the emotions of the apostles as they came to grips of what the Resurrection meant for them. Here is the final verse and chorus of the song:
Cause we are We are shining stars We are invincible We are who we are On our darkest day When we’re miles away So we’ll come We will find our way home
If you’re lost and alone Or you’re sinking like a stone Carry on May your past be the sound Of your feet upon the ground Carry on
Easter, in it’s spiritual sense, is not meant to be celebrated on one day, but to be lived every day! The sense of hope, forgiveness and new life are to be proclaimed and lived daily! No matter what life brings us, we are now meant to “carry on” knowing and feeling the excitement of the risen Jesus!
In our lives, what can we do to feel this excitement? How do we learn to “carry on”? Focus your attention and mind on the present moment; live the moment. The apostles felt their feelings in the moment, not knowing what was to come next. Live your moments; embrace them, feel them, experience them. Do the next right thing and then live that next moment. Before you know it, you will “find your way home” and “carry on.”
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Rest Stop (Holy Saturday) … grief, hope, faith
Holy Saturday, the day after the death of Jesus, Christians await, in hope and in faith, for God to show us a sign that Jesus is truly His son. When we think of the emotions of the followers of Jesus, so sure that He was the savior, to experience His death, their heartbreak and confusion must’ve been unbearable! Were they duped? How were they so wrong to think that Jesus was God? Yet, because of everything that they experienced while with Jesus, there still exists a sense of hope in their hearts. They don’t yet understand, and they are questioning, but they haven’t yet fully rejected the belief that Jesus is the son of God.
Taken from the Christian prayer-book “The Liturgy of the Hours”, here is an ancient sermon attributed to Easter yet prayed on Holy Saturday. What does this sermon says to you in your life’s journey:
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Rest Stop (Good Friday) … love
Love; the complete and selfless giving for another; a desire to allow the other to shine and to grow. On this day, Good Friday, Christians recall Jesus, who out of love, willingly gave Himself to suffer and to die so that we may shine and grow. Jesus, the night before, agonized and prayed over this decision of suffering and dying, hoping for another way to carry out our salvation. But in the end, in response to the message Jesus hears in prayer, He says “not my will, but Your will be done.” In trust, faith and love Jesus freely suffers and dies for us.
How do we express love for others? Do we, in faith, trust enough to share our love? When we are suffering and find life difficult, in faith do we turn to Jesus who not only suffered, but who also found life’s situations difficult to endure?
Today, in faith and trust, knowing that Jesus understands what it’s like to make difficult decisions, to suffer, to feel physical and emotional pain, and to love, do we turn to Him in prayer and ask for guidance, for strength, for hope, for peace, for …..
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Rest Stop (Holy Thursday) … forgiveness from betrayal
The Last Supper by Da Vinci
As I mentioned in my earlier post, Holy Week is a spiritual time for me filled with much emotion. The apostles who followed Jesus gave up their livelihood and families to follow a person whom they hoped was their longed-for messiah; the savior of the Jewish people. After spending much time with Jesus, the apostles experience the awesome high of walking into Jerusalem with the crowds praising the man they are following. Imagine how they felt, knowing that they are with an important person, and they are one of only 12 selected personally by Him! Think of how this would make you feel. But then come the events at the end of the week that will change their lives forever.
The night of Passover, as Jesus dines for the last time with his apostles, we learn that one of the selected twelve, Judas, will betray and hand over Jesus to the authorities, and Peter will deny, not once but three times, that he knows Jesus. The rest of the apostles, the closest friends of Jesus, flee and hide. Think about this … one of Jesus’ closest companions turns Him over to be arrested; His selected leader, Peter, will deny ever knowing Him; the rest of the friends run away; at a time when Jesus needed His friends’ support the most!
Historically, around the year 33AD, the Roman Empire ruled the known Western world including Jerusalem and the Jewish people. Over time, as the apostles slowly come to an understanding of Jesus as the Son of God, they long for the day that He will save them from the Romans. This was part of the reason for Judas’ betrayal, to force Jesus’ hand into fighting the Romans to whom he turned over Jesus. Neither Peter nor Judas understood that Jesus was a Savior of souls, not a conqueror of the Romans. The freedom Jesus brings is an inner freedom, not a physical freedom. Therefore, when Jesus is arrested and neither He nor the angels come to save Him, the apostles become scared and confused.
Put in the historical context it is a bit easier to understand why Peter, although not fleeing the scene like the rest, denies knowing Jesus. It is not necessarily to betray his friend, but out of a sense of fear and confusion. Peter doesn’t want to be arrested, too. Peter is scared and confused.
Jumping ahead in the story, after the resurrection of Jesus, He finds Peter to reconcile with him. He allows Peter the opportunity of forgiveness, but not just a simple “I’m sorry”, but a deeper reconciliation based on love and compassion. Jesus approaches Peter not to reproach him for his denial, but to simply ask Peter if he loves Him. Peter responds with “yes, you know that I love you.” Can you imagine the emotions Peter is experiencing?
Personally, a song from the early 1990’s by the rock band Savatage seems to sum up the emotional exchange of Jesus and Peter during their reconciliation. The song, “Believe”, was not written for this purpose, but it speaks to me in a way of framing the depth of the emotions felt by Peter and Jesus as Peter is asked if he loves Jesus. This is the verse from the song which I attribute to Peter’s words to Jesus. As you read the verse, place yourself in the scene of Peter, confused and afraid, ashamed and embarrassed, standing before the risen Jesus:
The refrain of the song, which I attribute to Jesus responding to Peter, is both powerful and comforting:
On this Holy Thursday, let’s reflect on:
- Trust. How can I trust even when I don’t fully know the person or the situation? What can I do to get a better understanding when events happen of which I am unfamiliar?
- Forgiveness. Holding onto resentments and anger led both Peter and Judas to depression and despair. How can I learn to forgive others, and truly move on. How can I learn to forgive myself?
- Love. How can I truly love another even when they disappoint me? How can I try to more fully understand their context and what is happening in their life. Can I embrace them as Jesus embraced Peter?
Life is not easy; but by placing ourselves into the drama of the apostles and Jesus during this critical week in their lives can give us guidance and teach us lessons.
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Rest Stop (Saturday) … post holiday blues
Do you hear that sound? What sound, you ask? The sound of calm after the holidays. The moment when we realize the guests have left and the errands are complete. The moment when we finally look around and notice all we have missed while immersed in the hustle and bustle of preparing for the holiday.
Personally, the days immediately following New Years Day are mixed emotion days for me. The first couple weeks of January I relax in the glow of Christmas and the expectation of new beginnings. Yet, intermingled amidst my joyous feelings there is a feeling of sadness as I realize that the holiday season has ended as “normal” life returns. Since the time when I was a young child I have loved the period from Halloween to New Years because of the festivities, the traditions, the foods, smells, sights, etc. Yet it seems that as soon as Halloween is upon us, in a flash, we are past New Years Day! As I sit writing this post I wonder where it all went. I think back to the preparations, excitement, anticipation, expectation, then the joy of Christmas’ arrival … now what? As I sit here and reflect I wonder what’s left? How did this season get away from me so quickly?
I don’t believe that I am alone in my emotions, nor do I need to be a counselor to understand the rationale for why many of us feel down after the holidays. Here are some actions I do for myself to cope with my feelings this time of the year. I hope they will help you, too:
- Spend a moment each day closing your eyes, slowing your breath, and focus on your feelings. Whatever you are feeling, feel it, reflecting on the origin of the feeling.
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If you find yourself experiencing the holiday blues, don’t hide those feelings nor ignore them. Acknowledge them to yourself and others. Many people are feeling the same way.
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Recall the parties, family gatherings, people you met, family members with whom you reconnected. Recall the memories, not in a perspective of “it’s over”, but in the perspective that it happened. How did those encounters affect you or change you? What can you take away from these encounters? Might you have made new friendships? Connect with the new friend. Did you meet distant family members? Develop a plan to stay in touch in a meaningful way.
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Recall your fondest and favorite memories of this holiday season. How do those memories make you feel? Take that feeling and find a way to make the feeling last into the new year.
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Make a conscious effort to find a way to make Christmas, its spirit and meaning, last into the new year. If we can do that then there is no longer a need for the holiday blues since the holiday will never truly end.
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