Tornadic Paths to Peace

From my new book Pursuing Peace - Finding God's Peace in a Stressful Life

“We have to remember that we live in a fallen world. And creation itself groans because of man’s sin. The earth was not meant to be like this. When people were created, we were placed in the Garden of Eden where I believe fire ants were harmless. But when people changed the landscape of our relationship with God, so too did the landscape transform around people. And we bear the pains of that mural as nature groans.

“Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering.” (Rom. 8:20–23 NLT)

As people, we groan. Nature groans. We lived together before the fall in peace. Now we groan and fight the results of sin in this world, and our life in peace now becomes a battle for peace. But when we reconsider the pain of the day, not as some happenstance but as an opportunity to learn of God’s peace, we can see that God is there to bring good out of the bad situations.” CH2,  Made in His Image

 The destruction and loss of life left by the recent F5 tornado in Oklahoma is something that we all recall and shake our head at. We question why and how it happens. We think of God’s great hand and how He manages to let such destruction befall the innocence of children. And for us parents, the reality of the loss really hits home. But these violent acts of nature have been occurring since the dawn of man.

Scripture shows clearly that we live in the midst of a groaning creation. Not only does nature show her groanings but nature causes groanings upon her inhabitants. Life itself is in a perpetual state of misery and yearning for something more, something meaningful, something – peaceful. Since sin reared its head on this planet, the vibrations of pain began to reverberate amongst us all. Sometimes we get in the way; sometimes unknowingly and sometimes of our own choice.

But 2,000 years ago, the Son of God stepped in and took the death blow of sin and turned it on its head. The eternal results of this pain and groaning that sin first caused were forever changed by the power of the cross. Mankind now has a hope that the pain will soon end and the eternity that we can share will be without this misery and loss that we see around us. And in the Spirit of that same God, we can live now, in the midst of this misery, with peace of mind, knowing where our destiny lies. In Christ, we can live in peace, in the midst of the chaos, in the hope of His triumphant return!

“…while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…” Titus 2:13 NIV