How Christian Authorities Can Bring About World Peace
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."(Matthew 5:9)
In this respect, it is hard to tell the difference between many modern Christian authorities and the Pharisees or Sadducees who lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius.
Yet Jesus showed up during that very reign to bring peace, not fear or resistance or a troubled heart. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27) "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil." (Matthew 5:39)
So why do so many Christian authorities not bring peace as Jesus brings peace?
The answer is: they are human, subject to human foibles and human shortcomings. Which means they sometimes lapse into letting ego control their words and actions. Their spirit deep down inside is totally at peace, undisturbed. But ego's constant whispered message in their mind is: "Under no circumstances are you to be at peace and be happy!"
Certainly there are precious moments (hopefully even hours) when priests and pastors and general authorities do experience their underlying spiritual nature, times when they do not listen to ego and instead radiate the love and joy of their spirit, times when they are serenely at peace inside and teaching peace to the world. But when they again revert to allowing ego control, they are governed by fear accompanied by the urge to resist what they fear, thus teaching conflict to the world.
Are there Christian leaders who help people avoid immorality and damaging lifestyles without losing their peace in the process? Yes, but you know them by their laughter, not their admonitions and pleading; and people are attracted to them by the glowing example they set, not by their preaching.
In addition to those who lapse into ego-influenced combat against immorality and wickedness, there are also those Christian leaders who can be seen abandoning their peace by insisting on being "right" theologically. In His revelation for the 21st Century, A Course in Miracles, Jesus laughs at human silliness and asks us if we would rather be right or happy. He tells us that insistence on theological precision is entirely unnecessary:
"All terms are potentially controversial, and those who seek controversy will find it. Yet those who seek clarification will find it as well.Theological considerations as such are necessarily controversial, since they depend on belief and can therefore be accepted or rejected. A universal theology is impossible, but a universal experience is not only possible but necessary. It is this experience toward which the course is directed."
So how do Christian leaders become true peacemakers, teaching peace to the world rather than conflict? Jesus Christ, always present, calls to all Christian leaders to enroll in His Course in Miracles, the device he is now using to prepare each of us for a personal all-pervading and everlasting peace which in turn brings peace to our world:
"Forget not that the motivation for this course is the attainment and the KEEPING of the state of peace. Given this state, the mind is quiet, and the condition in which God is remembered is attained. Peace will be yours BECAUSE it is His Will.
"The secret enemies of peace, your least decisions to choose attack instead of love, unrecognized and swift to challenge YOU to combat and to violence, far more inclusive than you think, are there by your election.
"You always choose between your weakness and the strength of Christ in you. Christ calls to you, and gently says, 'My brother, choose again.' "
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"...nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21)
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