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The Disturbing Peace of Christ
By Joseph Veneroso, M.M.
Photos by Sean Sprague
May the peace of Christ disturb you
And shake you from your dreams
To see the reality of life all around you.
Despite the storms of war and violence
Amid tears and bitterness
Remember: from the cross of earthly defeat
Christ prayed divine forgiveness upon
Our ungrateful and indifferent world
Whose fragile and illusory peace
Comes from overpowering our enemies.
No, the shalom of Christ takes root and rules
In the heart that refuses to hate
In the mind that seeks true justice
On the lips that bless, not curse
In the soul aware of its utter dependence
On God’s abundant mercy.
Only Christ’s peace brings blessed assurance
That despite setbacks, failures, disappointment
And defeat and amid physical hardship and
Discouragement while wandering
In the wilderness of uncertainty
Not only are we exactly where
God wants us to be
But Jesus himself is with us in the struggle.
