Where's the peace?

"Jesus said to his disciples, 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you...
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.'"
John 14:21-26

This is so perfectly timed for us right now, isn't it? The peace that Jesus gives to us is a peace of the heart; our hearts are not troubled or afraid because we have what Jesus gives. But, what does this look like as we go through this unprecedented time of pandemic? How can we rest in the peace of Jesus when all around us seems to be suffering and crumbling? What about when we feel alone and unsupported? What does the peace of Jesus look like then? How can it reassure us? I think it looks like this:
We remember and are reassured that we are loved, deeply, by God. Nothing happening around us can change that. God sustains and maintains everything and God never doesn't love what God creates and sustains.
All things will right themselves eventually. But we may not want to settle for "normal"--or the way things were before. God is giving us a chance to experience better-than-just-normal when this is all over.  Because...
We are growing up. We are learning and embracing what is really important and essential...our fellow human beings. Whether we know them already or are watching their stories unfold on the nightly news, we are sharing this difficult time with our brothers and sisters and, please God, may we emerge from this time recognizing we are all family, together. This terrible virus can unify us as we draw together to battle it.
And finally, a bit of advice from wisdom teacher Cynthia Bourgeault: for every hour we spend online, connected or zooming, may we spend another hour unplugged and quietly listening to the silence of our hearts. The hearts that are filled with God's love. Sit outside, take a walk through the neighborhood, light a candle and sit with just the flame for light. Unplug from the news and the world and look deep inside for the peace of Christ. It's there, right where God put it.
Love, heidi