Article November 1, 2004 Issue

STAY CALM—TRUST GOD

By Tony Lobl

Wouldn't It Be Wonderful To Wave A Magic Wand and command the turbulence to stop in today's world the way Jesus once commanded a storm, "Peace, be still"? Wouldn't it be grand to see storms of terrorism, genocide, political divisiveness, disease, and poverty settle into some semblance of calm, like the scene after Jesus quieted the winds? The Bible describes what happened: "And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:39).

Today's news makes stillness in ourselves—let alone in the world—seem a distant dream. Like compounded interest on a loan, each day's news serves up images of ever-more-acute violence, and more chronic despair. Upcoming national elections around the world, along with long-delayed municipal elections slated for December in Palestinian-governed territories, and the anticipated January ballot in Iraq, offer hope of improvement. At this stage, though, the turmoil surrounding these elections adds an air of uncertainty to already dire circumstances, rather than a guaranteed path out of them.

Even in the most turbulent times, though, it's possible to find moments of great stillness. For example, I have listened to many stories from people who lived through the Second World War who found moments of deep spiritual peace in the middle of unrest and confusion. And the time during which I first experienced such peace myself, as a twenty-something in London, coincided with the period when the city was actively targeted by IRA terrorists. Instead of robbing me of my peace, the threat of random violence made my need to seek and find an unconditional calm more urgent, which I found I could do through prayer based on a spiritual view of my life.