When Peace is Elusive

We yearn for peace but turn away 
from the one certain source that will not die,
	a fifth dimension of hope
	that is founded on truth.
It is transparent reality, not wishful thinking,
	but cannot be seen
	by cataract-laced eyes;
it is only even partly known by those
	committed to the Great Beyond
	while in the Here and Now--

That is, until the surgery is done
that cleans the inner vision, cuts away
	the barriers to knowing,
	even to vital feeling.
We need that intervention to be whole,
	to help make peace
	that dissolves anger
and streams light into the shadowed world.
	Please come! Free all the slaves
	from chains they do not see!

When I wrote this poem a decade ago I was dealing with chaos across the ocean where I lived. Now we are living in chaotic times right here in the U.S. It is not easy to find peace that is not just a superficial “everything will be all right!” What is that “fifth dimension of hope?”

There is just one place to find that confidence: when we are in the Presence of God, Sovereign of the Universe. And how do we get there? Through prayer, prayer that receives what he gives us in return:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:6,7 NIV)

That is truth. When we are focused on him, pleading but also thanking him for goodness and grace, the God who is love will fill us with a kind of peace that cannot be explained otherwise.

Our problem is our blurry vision that cannot see into that “fifth dimension.”

During the past few months I’ve been noticing that my eyesight is changing:  I can no longer easily read signs while I’m driving, and when I try to read music to play on the piano I’m not sure of some of the symbols until I cock my head and get closer. I had a visit with my ophthalmologist last week and he confirmed that I was experiencing a real change in my vision, and that it is due to cataracts growing too big! I am slated to have surgery to remove them—I can’t wait to see clearly again!

So the imagery of “cataract-laced eyes” is now intensely personal! When I try to keep my heart-eyes focused on that “transparent reality” that is God’s sovereignty, I cannot see clearly due to all the distractions that intrude. Hopes dashed, anxieties simmering, news that absorbs us, misplaced priorities—yes, all those things make it hard to stay thankful and to trust in God’s purposes. How can we get rid of whatever “cataracts” are blurring our vision?

If only I could constantly take the gift that is offered me:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Pet. 5:7 NIV)

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Ps. 55:22 NIV)

Do we believe it? Do we receive it? Do we let the LORD, Yahweh, do that surgery that removes the cataracts from our heart-eyes so that we can see clearly, no obstacles blocking our vision? He will hold us fast. He will not let his dear ones “be shaken,” their faith shattered.

So whatever is concerning us in our personal lives or in the world, we just need to come to him and let him take care of it. Then we keep walking forward, seeing more clearly the path laid out for us:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; ⁶ think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. (Prov. 3:5,6 CSB))

I memorized that as a child in a translation that rendered the last line, “he will make your paths straight.”  Both versions explain his guidance, his protection from getting lost or stumbling. I stumbled this morning while walking in my neighborhood, thinking too much about these themes of anxiety and peace—as a result I didn’t notice the height of the curb as I moved from the street onto the sidewalk! I was not keeping focused. It underlines for me the importance of keeping in tune with my Guide, listening to his prompts, accepting his warnings. Then even though we may be momentarily distracted, we won’t be seriously injured:

The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; ²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. (Ps. 37:23,24 NIV)

Then, as his light streams into this shadowed world, we not only see clearly, we are held by the loving King of Everything!