Pockets of Peace

Published:

Fri Jan 13 '17

Author:

Rich Butt

Tags:

Broadcast, calm, christianity, church, creativity, gospel, Jesus, London, mission, peace, prayer, theology, worship

There I am, stood on the edge of a cliff, feeling the gentle hug of the wind and watching the crystal blue sea crash against the rocks. As I take in the beauty of the scene unfolding before me I’m reminded of Gungor’s lyrics;

I climbed up a lion of rock,

There overlooking the swirls of the world,

All the shifting of sands that I saw,

Conflicting energy giving and taking,

The fluid grace of it all.

Peace.

I find it can be so hard to find a pocket of peace in this frantic home we call London. I know they are all around, but I’m often too rushed or stressed to notice them. A couple of months ago, I was on my way to a meeting in Putney with so many different thoughts fighting for prominence. Earlier that week, I had been listening to a podcast where they were discussing some recent neurological findings regarding the impact of positive and negative thinking.

Negative thoughts, such as jealousy and selfishness, can be like Velcro to the brain. They can easily stick and form connections with other parts of the brain. Conversely, positive thoughts, such as gratefulness and hope, are more like Teflon. These thoughts can easily slide away without having a positive transformative impact.

Back to Putney. I was walking along the river and the sun was shining. It was beautiful. The sunlight was bouncing off the Thames and the buildings that line its banks. Remembering what I had heard earlier in the week, I paused, trying to drink in as much of the scene as I could whilst thanking God for it. There in Putney I found a little pocket of peace.

In our busy and stressful city, I am reminded of Philippians 4:6-7;

“Do not be anxious about anything,

but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

My prayer is that in the midst of the noise, we might respond to the peaceful whispers of beauty all around this city, and in doing so find another opportunity to connect with God.