Powerful Peace
"Peace like a river" is a common phrase in Christian tradition. There's a great song we used to sing in Sunday school called "I've got peace like a river in my soul" (originally an African American spiritual). It's also a simile found throughout the Bible. Here are a few examples:
"Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea." - Isaiah 48:18 (NLT)
"I’ll pour robust well-being into her like a river, the glory of nations like a river in flood" - Isaiah 66: 12 (MSG).
A friend prayed for me the other day and prayed that I would experience "a powerful peace... like a river." I was struck by the word powerful. I'm not sure that's the word I usually think of when I think of peace. It doesn't match my Sunday school version of putting up peace fingers and swaying back and forth totally carefree. Sunday school peace is nice but it's not the peace I need after trauma.
The Bible describes these peaceful rivers as "robust" and flooding. In a previous blog, Mesmerizing Waters, I described my experience at Mt. Rainier sitting next to a river. It was not gentle. The park rangers told us we could die if we jumped in it. And yet, sitting next to it was the first time I experienced peace since Julia died.
In the book of Mark, there is a story of Jesus stopping a terrifying storm for his disciples. Mark writes that it was a "great storm" and when Jesus stills the storm, he causes a "great calm" (Mark 4:35-40). It makes sense that the peace we need must be greater than the trauma we've been through.
I've had moments of this powerful peace over the last few months, but I long for more. Jesus, I want the great peace...the powerful, robust, and flooding kind of peace.