From Whence He came packed with peace and grace forever

From Whence He came packed with peace and grace forever

Which person among all of humanity would consider leaving what we might believe that a mansion or cabin in the woods would suffice our desire for relaxing?  But to leave the environs we have been acquainted with for a long time for something or somewhere we’ve never even considered before places a question that many people would give another serious thought as to this choice.  

Abraham had to make this decision simply because of the faith he had in his God.   Moses also took a chance to go to Egypt at the urging of a God he just accepted, leaving his comfort zone and risking death after escaping Egypt originally.  Elijah was told to leave the sanctuary of a cave and take over the evil principles of the god Baal.  

None of these prophets had much on their backs except their immediate clothing.  Their missions included the word of God to guide them and the assurance that he would be with them as they followed his directions.

But Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, already knew what had to be done if this creation he was responsible for could be saved from their sins.  In his time, not ours as humans, he already took upon himself the only time in human history that he would assume the nature of man and incarnate himself in the womb of a virgin, the Blessed Mother of himself; the Mother of God.  Why would he attempt a journey that was never done before?  Because the grace of God is not a simple adherence to playing God, but using this attribute of God’s eternal love because the human creature is the only perfect element that has life and an eternal soul.

His only treasures that he took with him were grace and peace.  Neither were visible entities but proved beyond question the very essence of what God is.  

As we prepare for Lent and Easter to follow our sacrifice of love in return for his passion, we must acknowledge that it is grace that our faith initiates and the peace that he gave as the first words after his resurrection to his disciples; and the the same element of love we can give to everyone we meet or even those we may never meet.

When Jesus approached the disciples in the upper room it was his peace that he gave to them.  It was through the grace he had that extended that peace and it is the very element that we receive through grace to extend that peace to other people.

If nothing else, reach by our faith for that grace which is the vehicle that sends peace to those around us and hopefully extends the same to those they meet.

Ralph B. Hathaway