The Peace Plan

Finding peace in the transcendent purpose of God’s will

01/16/2019

Mark 1:29-39 On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, "Everyone is looking for you." He told them, "Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come." So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

Today I want to touch on a topic that is super sensitive, namely, suicide. Some of you may have family or friends who have tragically committed suicide so the problem is not only painful but also very personal. Everything that follows, therefore, please know I say with great respect and zero intention to offend anyone.

On June 7, 2018 The Washington Post newspaper ran a story on the acute rise of suicide in America. It quoted a few alarming statistics, saying: “Increasingly, suicide is being viewed not only as a mental health problem but also a public one. Nearly 45,000 suicides occurred in the United States in 2016 – more than twice the homicides” (people prefer to kill themselves than kill others) “– making it the 10th leading cause of death.” The article continued: “Among people ages 15-36 suicide is the second-leading cause of death.” You may remember when Kate Spade, the famous fashion designer, took her own life in New York City, and she had suffered from depression.

But what disappointed me about the article was what it pointed to as the root of the problem. It mentioned four factors that contribute to suicides: financial woes, relationships crises, alcohol and drug addiction, and mental health disorders. However, I think the article missed the deeper dilemma of which these four factors are but the symptoms, namely, a profound lack of peace. And peace does not come from more money, or a loving marriage, or a good martini (good as those things are), but rather from a sense of purpose. Purpose itself comes from knowing why I am walking around in this world. And a true and transcendent purpose comes from prayer. We ask God the simple but sublime question: “Why did you make me?” I am afraid that our country will only continue to see a rise in suicides as we see a similar rise in atheism. Why? When we do not pray, we will find little purpose, and we will finally feel no peace.

In the gospel we see Jesus model this three step peace plan. We read: “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” Maybe Jesus got up at 4:30 in the morning like I do but he probably didn’t have a Keurig. When Simon Peter informs him that everyone is looking for him, Jesus calmly replies: “Let us go to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” Did you catch the three steps of Jesus’ peace plan? First, he spent serious time in prayer; second, Jesus discovered his Father’s will, what God made him for (his human nature); and third, he enjoyed profound peace. Notice that Jesus did not have money or a marriage or even a martini. But he did pray and found his purpose and therefore felt deep peace.

My friends, we may not personally ever feel like committing suicide, but we all experience crisis points which can feel very overwhelming. There are three acute crises we all have to endure through life. First as teenagers trying to be independent; second in our forties and the so-called mid-life crisis, and then after retirement, when the wife want the husband out of her house. At these moments we feel disoriented and a profound lack of peace. We may mistakenly think, like The Washington Post article suggested, that the root of our problems is money or marriage or martinis or mental health. But I would disagree and so would Jesus. Rather, implement our Lord’s peace plan. First, spend time in serious prayer; second, ask God why he made you and discover a transcendent purpose, and third, you will feel an enduring sense of peace.

Peace is not the absence of war, not even the absence of interior conflicts and crises. Rather, peace is the result of walking in this world with a transcendent purpose, which you can only figure out praying to the One who made you. And that peace plan is probably the best way to reduce the number of suicides as well.

Praised be Jesus Christ!