Peace as a way of thinking? It is worth at least a moment’s consideration. As I observe the landscape about us, there is much that invites us into less than peaceful thinking. We are living in an atmosphere drenched in conflict. Taking sides is promoted with vigor today. Media is bent toward this end, and dare I say we can all too easily be caught up in it.

Through the years, I have encountered the phrase, “We must take a stand!” This has been applied variously by individuals touting a particular position or promoting issues at variance with others. Maybe this is inevitable. But I also wonder if something isn’t lost when it seems that this is becoming more of a way of life. Dare I say it seems as though for many, taking a stand has become an obsession. In saying this, I must wonder if the issue that is being stood for has become less important than the need to be opposed to the opposition, just because they are the opposition.

What’s the thinking? It is worth some reflection. And if it is worth some reflection, we would do well to ask what are the sources that are informing our thinking? We can get so caught up in the fight that we lose sight of what’s informing it from the outset. There are those stories that abound regarding generational feuds that continue to be fought long after the reason for the feud is forgotten. The Hatfields and McCoys are still with us.

In all of this, what is perhaps of greatest concern is how we think of or how we don’t think of another with whom we hold differences. Because of the position or issue at hand, the humanity of the opposition becomes something less than that. I think that is where many are today. If so, there is something disturbing here that needs to be seen for what it is. Historically, the tendency toward dehumanizing the opposition has led to catastrophic results. How we think of and see others, whatever the issue at hand, is critical.

Think peace! From the words of Isaiah above, we might learn that to do so may begin with considering a point of reference in our thinking. It begins with something as simple as asking ourselves, “Where is God in my thoughts?” There is a simple beauty in the words of Isaiah that associates trust in the Lord as the way of centering our thoughts in the way of peace. Might this be the way to go forward in our day of suspicion and contention? Maybe it is here where our thinking may be shaped for engaging in life about us.

Peace be with you.