God's Peace in a Time of Chaos

There’s an old Chinese proverb that says, “It’s better to be a dog in a peaceful time than a man in a time of chaos.”

I’m not so sure I could adjust to a diet of Kibbles ‘N Bits, but this time of chaos is exhausting.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the threat of terror, the shifting sands of the economy, the divisiveness that plagues our country, the fragile state of Social Security, the deterioration of the earth’s ecology, the horror of U.S. health care, and many other problems are all invitations to sink into a cesspool of despair. Will the cynics and pessimists win?

The other equally troubling aspect of these chaotic times is the role that religion is supposedly playing in adding to the whirlwind. Judging by the media, religion is the realm of fanatics who seek to reshape the face of the globe through violence and terror.

When you hear things like this, don’t just think “Islam.” Remember Oklahoma City? That was the work of Christian fanatics.

There’s no doubt that religion--of every kind--is being drawn into the mire of nationalistic, fundamentalist, and ideological warfare. God doesn’t choose sides, but misguided zealots are constantly claiming that God has signed up in support of their particular cause. Thus religion, which supposedly strives to bring out the best in human character, seems to be acting as a fuel that fires that which is most negative and horrid in human beings.

This vision of religion cannot go unanswered.

Anthony T. Padovano offers an accurate description of religion in his book, Contemplation and Compassion: Thomas Merton’s Vision. He says, “Religion was always meant to be a gentle experience. It is about love, and love is not an essentially harsh reality. Religion emerges from the human heart more immediately than from the human head. And there is something compassionate about the heart.”

Anthony T. Padovano offers an accurate description of religion in his book, Contemplation and Compassion: Thomas Merton’s Vision. He says, “Religion was always meant to be a gentle experience. It is about love, and love is not an essentially harsh reality. Religion emerges from the human heart more immediately than it does from the human head. And there is something compassionate about the heart.”

How important it is to keep this in mind in these trying times. While great evil has been done in the name of religion, great good has been accomplished as well.

Consider the role religion plays among those of us who gather in a community of faith called St. Mary’s. We work hard to help feed the hungry, provide shelter for women who suffer abuse, bring relief and some sense of family to incarcerated women and their children, offer clothing and blankets to those whose home is the streets of New York City, help create housing for those who are on limited incomes or disabled, and do many, many more good things.

This flies in the face of despair. Such acts say, “No!” to cynicism and will not be conquered by pessimism. They rise out of our shared religious experience that flows from the heart.

Padovano also says, “Religion becomes cruel in the hands of fanatics, heartless when its language and symbols are used as weapons. It was never meant to be such.”

We stand as a witness that religion in the hands of reasonable people is kind and compassionate. The language of the religion we follow is language of the heart beyond words, and its symbols constantly call us to be the people God called and created us to be.

In our hands religion does not add to chaos; instead, it becomes a beacon of hope in the midst of despair, love in the midst of hate, and possibility in the muck of cynicism.

I don’t yearn to be a dog just for the sake of a peaceful time. Truth is, even though the world whirls around me in chaotic patterns, the true pattern that I know is that of God’s love for you, for me, and for this broken, tattered world — the true pattern of the peace of God that passes all understanding. That love and serenity flows through you and me, offering our chaotic world an opportunity to turn and know peace.

Joel t