To Make Peace.

I frequently speak about finding peace in life, I do so because finding peace and having peace seems to me to be one of the most important things to be able to hold onto.  It has been the most important concept in my life. 

I heard this incredible statistic, since the beginning of recorded history, the entire world has been at peace less than eight per cent of the time!  Of the  3530 years of recorded history, only 286 years  have seen peace. In the same time, in excess of 8000 peace treaties were made, and broken. 

It seems that peace is something humanity would like to have, to grasp, but never enough, somehow the desire for peace is overcome by the desire for wealth, resources and other things.

In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for his belief and faith. On the night before his execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. 

Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life. Because he knew the peace of his god, he could rest in the strength of the everlasting arms of his god to meet his need. 

Here was somebody who had indeed discovered the real meaning of peace. He had found a peace that passes all understanding. 

Matthew Henry said this about peace, "Peace is such a precious jewel, that I would give anything for it but truth." 

Here is another true account I discovered about somebody who felt that peace was a very precious gift. This person was a Christian and I give you the story as I read it.

Telemachus was a monk who lived in the 4th century. He felt his God saying to him, "Go to Rome." 

He was in a cloistered monastery. He put his possessions in a sack and set out for Rome. When he arrived in the city, people were thronging in the streets. He asked why all the excitement and was told that this was the day that the gladiators would be fighting and killing each other in the Coliseum, the day of the games, the circus.  

He thought to himself, "Four centuries after Christ and they are still killing each other, for enjoyment?" 

He ran to the Coliseum and heard the gladiators saying, "Hail to Ceasar, we die for Ceasar" and he thought, "this isn't right." He jumped over the railing and went out into the middle of the field, got between two gladiators, held up his hands and said, "In the name of Christ, forbear." 

The crowd protested and began to shout, "Run him through, Run him through." A gladiator came over and hit him in the stomach with the back of his sword. It sent him sprawling in the sand. 

He got up and ran back and again said, "In the name of Christ, forbear." The crowd continued to chant, "Run him through." 

One gladiator came over and plunged his sword through the little monk's stomach and he fell into the sand, which began to turn crimson with his blood. One last time he gasped out, "In the name of Christ forbear." 

A hush came over the 80,000 people in the Coliseum. Soon a man stood and left, then another and more, and within minutes all 80,000 had emptied out of the arena. 

It was the last known gladiatorial contest in the history of Rome. 

This was a man who believed so much in peace he was prepared to die that others might find it. Peace is more than just the lack of war it is something deep and meaningful that we can find inside our very being. Here are some of the things in my humble opinion worthy of considering if we wish to find this peace.

 1) The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge is a major factor in the lack of peace. 

2) Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression. 

3) Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it. 

4) Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress. 

5) Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune. 

6) Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues--love, humour, compassion and loyalty. 

7) Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable. 

8) Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centred egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness. The something bigger than yourself does not always mean something religious or something beyond.

Have a peaceful day each and everyone who reads this and has taken the time to reach the end.