A New Day, A New Song

On a whim I bought a CD today; Amy Grant, the Christmas Collection. I encountered it at Target and it jumped into my cart. (That seems to happen a lot to me, especially at Target!) There are some oldies on there that I remember and love from years ago like her Tennessee Christmas and one of my very favorites A Mighty Fortress/Angels We have Heard on High. Those two bring back some really wonderful memories of my college years. They were both part of A Christmas Album that came out many years ago and that recording followed by Handel’s complete Messiah got me from Chicago to home for many years running. I could almost time my trip by these 2 recordings.


The CD I found today has a new song that shot, like an arrow, through my heavily laden heart. The refrain for I Need A Silent Night goes like this:

I need a silent night, a Holy night to hear an angel voice
through the chaos and the noise I need a midnight clear
A little peace right here to end this crazy day with a silent night.

Listen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRSSsNbF29I

It came on as I was wending my way through the mall parking lot, having done what needed doing and going on to the next stop on the list. When I got home I listened again…and spent the rest of the day in quiet, focusing on finding that silence, that Holiness, that illusive peace we all seem to search for.

What I realized is that this song, while a “Christmas Song,” reflects so much of my daily life; every day, every moment… The quest for peace is a daily journey, not one reserved for December as I rush to gather gifts, fit in as many parties and celebrations as possible, search for the right outfit for that special event, prepare for guests and extravagant meals. No. It seems that the other 11 months of the year are just as chaotic, just as stressful, just as un-peace-filled. Whether it’s world peace or that deeply effecting inner peace I am wishing for, it always seems just out of my reach.

As you know, in many ways this has not been a “peaceful” year for me. I have had my share of struggles. I have begun to wonder if I even know what peace is or how to identify it when it is present. In reality I don’t know that anyone can truly know peace unless they know God. But if we know God and we understand our sinful nature and we know the work we are called to do on this earth, can we know peace? I don’t know.

Peace is a truly illusive thing. We (or at least I) want it, I crave it. I want it in my life, in my relationships, in my government, in my schools, in my neighborhoods…yet, do I really know what it is? If we know what it is we must then realize that on some level we are in control of it. Peace is something we “make” or create. It is to NOT be at war with our neighbor, the cessation of animosity, the act of living in harmony. These things don’t just happen or, if they do in your life, I’d like your magic technique! Peace means agreeing to disagree, speaking gently and without anger toward each other. Peace is me allowing you to be you, accepting you, loving you as you need to be loved and working toward a common harmony. It is not always agreeing but working toward an acceptance of our differences that allow us to still live in the same house, the same neighborhood, the same country…the same world.

But we will never have peace in our world until we learn to have peace in our lives; until we learn the love and respect each person as a child of our awesome God who deserves our utmost care and respect. When we understand that each human being belongs first to God and we are merely care-takers of them and them of us…maybe we can find peace.

And wouldn’t it be an awesome thing…for each of us to know peace, that Peace that passes all understanding…I don’t know that I will ever know it but I do hope.