Choose Peace

Isaiah 2:3-4 ESV

I recently had a conversation with a millennial about the world baby boomers grew up in. The focus of the conversation landed on the 1960’s. I talked about where I was when John F. Kennedy was shot.

I told him I remember that day like it was yesterday. His assassination in 1963 was followed by the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 and the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy a few months later.

In addition to the ‘horrific’ deaths there were five major race riots in major cities from 1965 to 1968 and sometimes violent protests against the war in Vietnam.

The list actually goes on and on.

It was a violent time.

I told him I also remembered what happened on September 11, 2001 when the twin towers went down.

In Isaiah 2:3-4 says, “many peoples shall come, and say:“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

During those years many of us needed help to understand and grieve our sorrows. Let us go to the mountain of God where God will teach us became the heart cry of those who did not believe violence was the best route to bring about change.

Even though I was a child and a teenager, the constant violence during those years did establish my views on how to protest.

I came to believe that peace was the answer.

God was the way to peace.

God is capable of all things.

From my perspective I did not see good that came from violent protests. I did however come to a place where I chose peace. I chose God’s peace.

Not only did I choose God’s peace, I chose to rely on God’s Word for answers. I started to learn to sit with God.

I read scripture looking for answers to the world’s hard questions.

That’s not to say I would not have served my country if called upon. I would have gladly served, but women’s roles in the military were different then.

Women were not deemed capable of many roles. In the world I grew up in, women were meant to have babies. We were meant to stay home and pray.

WOW…has the world ever changed! Looking back, some of what happened in the 60’s changed how we view and do life…and that’s not all bad.

Deborah

acrazyjourney.com