Peace (So Far Away, So Close)

It’s a funny thing — peace. We all want it, but the attainment of genuine peace can feel so close and so far away at the same time. I believe the reason for that is because having peace in an imperfect world requires people to make allies with even those they might consider enemies. Think about it. We want Democrats and Republicans to work together and be bipartisan in order to help all people, but presently each party believes their party’s cause is so much more important than peace that they can’t bring themselves to happily work together. With that being the case, the two sides end up going out of their way to make the other side look bad and stoke a flame of division among citizens, especially during voting season. Due to that deeply divisive nature, such a relationship will never allow for genuine peace in this nation. Think about how genuinely horrible that is. With that reality, the old but true adage hauntingly rings true: “A nation divided against itself cannot stand.” 

Politics is just one example of this struggle for peace. On a personal level, finding peace is also something that feels so far away yet is also so close at the same time. Again, this is because we live in an imperfect world and are imperfect people facing a battle within us as well as a battle outside of us. Now, this might seem like a complicated scenario that’s impossible to escape, but I believe it can be explained in a way that makes it not so complicated to live out and create peace.

See, oftentimes we think of peace as a goal to attain. Yet, that’s the absolute last way to expect peace. That’s mostly, whether we realize it or not, like asking for a perfect world. Good luck with that. This is why we have to be able to have peace in the midst of chaos and during the journey of life, not just the goals of life. That’s the real goal. This is very important to latch onto because life is full of chaos and no life is perfect. Money can’t give you peace, even though it offers some. A lover doesn’t offer peace either, since relationships, at least good ones, require hard work and tough conversations; it’s not easy. Again, relationships offer some peace, but they aren’t perfect. So, now that we know what peace is not, what is peace, and how is it attained?

Well, peace is, at its most basic form, being happy with yourself, others, and life just exactly the way everything is at every exact moment. It’s not denying the need for improvements, but giving yourself and others the gift of acceptance. It’s not something made for control freaks, but for people who love people. This is tough for people to accept because there is obviously evil in the world and within us, but still, we must be at peace with that. That’s called giving yourself and others grace. That’s the first step of peace. It’s about believing that everything is okay, even if situations are full of chaos all around you and your health is failing. This is where things get difficult for a lot of people and why peace will always remain elusive for them — chaos wrecking their hopes and dreams. Yet, things change on their own with or without you, so be at peace with it all. Keep pressing forward and improving.

Now, once you’re at peace with everything, then you’re able to take the next step of having faith that everything will work out well for you. This is where a lot of chaos comes in, and where things like religion, God, karma and all that stuff comes in. Amidst all of that, one thing we must eliminate right away is that you yourself must be nearly perfect in decision making in order to have a good life. That’s false since everyone is imperfect. People make wrong decisions every day, since not all decisions come down to right and wrong and so many things are out of your control. For example, if everything were to be analyzed to perfection, then maybe some people should have played a video game instead of reading a book in order to give themselves more enjoyment, yet, how could anyone truly know that? Only God can know these things, which is why we must be careful how we judge and why we must be at peace with our decisions, even if they are sometimes wrong. After all, the decisions were already made. That idea of peace will be tough for some people. Many people will still believe in their heart, even if denying with their mouth, that being nearly perfect and nearly right on everything is peace. Sure, right decisions offer a lot rewards, but since we’re imperfect, that cannot be the foundational answer to peace. Make sense?

Finally, the answer must come from a source that rewards imperfect people at all times and at every moment unfailingly. This final answer of finding peace must be outside of you. That’s the only answer for imperfect people. Of course, I could come right out and say that my personal belief is that Jesus fits that description perfectly and is the answer, and while He fits, I realize that not every reader here would agree with that up front and would have thoughts of “church” (whatever description that is, positive and negative) that would come to mind and get them thinking about false ideas of religion. So, instead, I’ll focus on the criteria of an “outside source” and let you fill in your own answer using your own intelligence. For that, the answer is that we need an outside source that: 1) rewards imperfect people at all times; 2) does it at every moment unfailingly. Whatever can meet that criteria is your final answer to peace in an imperfect world. 

So, when you really break it down, peace is really not that difficult to attain. The problem is that we simply aren’t taught how to find peace because it’s so elusive to find amidst all of the imperfection in this life. To conclude this ARTicle, I’ll wrap up everything again. First, we need to be at peace with everything in life and ourselves 100% the way everything presently is at any time. Second, we have to believe everything will work out well amidst our imperfections and the worlds imperfections. Thirdly, and finally, is the one I believe empowers the first two things, and it’s that we must find a perfect outside source that rewards us with good ideas and the right moments to create a good life (not a perfect life with perfect circumstances) at every moment of every day and is on our side to fight for us with those good ideas that benefit others and ourselves. I believe those three things give us perfect peace in uncertain times. So, no matter what happens, be at peace with it because you can’t control everything, only a little bit. Of course though, if you can change it and improve it, then do so, and by so doing create more peace. That’s the cycle of a life of peace. It’s quite simple, really, but we struggle with it because we humans crave perfection and instant answers so badly. Yet, if you want true peace that doesn’t waver in this wavering world and with our wavering selves, I hope this ARTicle helps you in acquiring it, and once you do find it don’t let anyone steal your peace!