Peace

It's become quite a phenomenon as a group of roughly two dozen Buddhist monks have been walking the highways and byways of the Southern U.S. with the destination of Washington, DC.  It's called the Walk for Peace, but have they really tapped into the source of True Peace?

Jesus, our Savior, described as the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9, said Himself in John 14 (ESV):
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you. ’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

The monks have completed their trek through Alabama and have moved on into Georgia and beyond.  Their journey took them through Selma, Montgomery, and Opelika during the week of Christmas, including a Christmas night gathering in Opelika which turned out a significant crowd, according to news reports, on the day set aside to observe the birth of our Savior.

A CBS News report stated:

The monks began their walk on Oct. 26 in Fort Worth, Texas. When CBS News Atlanta spoke with Venerable Pannakara, he said the group had been walking for more than 60 days and still had nearly two months remaining before reaching Washington, D.C.

"We are walking for peace, loving kindness, and compassion to all people," Pannakara said. He explained that the goal of the journey is to encourage individuals and communities to cultivate peace within themselves as a step toward peace in the wider world.

The article went on to say: "As the monks moved through Georgia, they encountered a range of reactions. Many supporters joined portions of the walk or gathered along roadways to offer food, water, and words of encouragement."  The piece also said:

CBS News Atlanta also spoke with Billy Ball, a former pastor affiliated with Grace Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia, who said he came out to share a Christian perspective on peace.

Ball told CBS News Atlanta that while he believed the monks' intentions were sincere, he felt compelled to express his belief that peace ultimately comes through Christianity. His comments reflected a theological disagreement but did not disrupt the walk, which continued peacefully through the area.

This was notable, in that much of the media coverage that I saw read like a press release for the Walk for Peace, with a positive, even fawning, treatment of these gentlemen and their dog, Aloka. Kudos to this news outlet for drawing the distinction that even though this was a "Walk for Peace," it was misguided in its reliance on human effort and questionable practices to produce peace.  And, as the CBS article pointed out, the monks say their mission was not "politics or religious conversion," there were plenty of politicians who seemed to posture themselves with the Walk for Peace, which embraced the tenets of the false religion of Buddhism.

Social media reports on the progress of this Walk for Peace showed a host of positive comments, with some even a simple emoji of praying hands.  But, this is not the path to True Peace.

As social media influencer Ryan Teaford wrote on Facebook:

Let me be clear before the accusations start.
I am not against peace.
I am not against people walking to D.C.
And I am not against kindness, discipline, or self-control.
What I am against is the message being celebrated and quietly absorbed by the Church.
Along their journey, the message is simple:
 Look within.
 Find peace in yourself.
 Align with the universe.
That sounds gentle.
That sounds spiritual.
That sounds loving.
But it is not the gospel.

As this group of Buddhist Monks traverses our nation, calling for peace, we must recognize that peace is not something that comes from within the heart of a person - unless that person has experienced the transformation of a heart that comes through Jesus Christ.  Peace cannot be found within unless the Prince of Peace dwells there. 

But, when we accept Jesus and appropriate His peace, then we can know what the Bible calls a "peace that passes all understanding."  While the world calls for such concepts as peace and unity, we have to recognize the Biblical definitions for these terms are quite different.   As Jesus said in John 14, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid..." His peace is not as the world gives.  So, we can ask ourselves, where are we looking for peace?