Happy New Year, y’all! After the year that was 2020–I’ve heard so many other metaphors for it, but we’ll just call it a “year”–I let Christmas linger a bit into the new year. (Just got my tree down a couple of days ago!) I’ve been feeling like we all need a little extra dose of the “Peace on Earth, good will towards men,” that the angels were talking about–you know the ones who appeared to the shepherds on that first Christmas…?
Peace on Earth??
Speaking of peace on Earth, one of my favorite Christmas carols contains the line, “And in despair I bowed my head. ‘There is no peace on Earth,’ I said. ‘For hate is strong and mocks the song, of peace on Earth, good-will to men!’” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned these words following personal tragedy as well as during a particularly bleak time in our nation’s history. But how true they ring today… no? HWL’s poem is shockingly relatable! Some days it just seems like the hits just keep on coming and the whole world has gone crazy.
Perhaps the more things change the more things stay the same. I’m sure things felt pretty crazy and messed up around here in 1863! I grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, (yes, back in the 1900s!) and even though those times now seem like the “good ole days,” I can remember even then having a sense of the lyrics sounding so timely and appropriate for uncertain, turbulent times.
Tranquility on Earth…?
You might have noticed the title of my blog is Tranquil Domesticity. (Please tell me you’ve noticed at some point…) Since most of us don’t use these words in casual conversation, on my “about” page, I expound a little and define the term simply as “a peaceful homelife.”
I differentiate, however, between tranquility and actual peace. I’d like to reiterate that difference here, as I’ve pondered the concept of peace a good bit over this holiday and New Year season.
I encourage you to follow the links and do some pondering of your own.
Peace, compared to tranquility, is a somewhat weightier matter. As much as I might like to help with decluttering tips or life hacks, or even recommending a process or product that makes life easier, I can’t manufacture peace. I can only point you to what I believe the only real pathway to peace, which is faith in Jesus.
Tranquility is to Peace as Happiness is to Joy…
I think a good analogy is happiness as compared to joy. Happiness is temporal. Fleeting. Dependent on circumstances.
Joy, on the other, hand is deeply rooted–transcendent of circumstances. Many people find joy in serving others and doing difficult, heartbreaking, dirty jobs. Joy sometimes does not even remotely resemble happiness.
Similar to happiness and joy, sometimes we use peace and tranquility interchangeably. But peace that we find in the Bible—the sort of peace that surpasses understanding—is certainly different from Tranquility.
Keep calm and…
Tranquility is defined by Merriam Webster as “calm,” or “the absence of agitation.”
Tranquility can be found in a moment: watching a lovely sunset or listening to a feel-good song. Participating in a favorite hobby can be a path to tranquility, but not necessarily to peace. Tranquility vs. Peace is like a drink of water vs. a bottomless well.
Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you…” But he qualifies it by saying it’s “not [the kind of peace] as the world gives.” Later He tells his disciples that “in this world you will have trouble.” The peace of which He speaks is found NOT in this world but in Him.
Be for real.
Real peace is not the absence of agitation or conflict, but rather a deeper, abiding calm that cannot be disturbed by the ups and downs that constitute daily life here on Earth.
Jesus also said “Peace, be still” to the waves of the sea which were churning so violently that His disciples thought they were about to be casualties of the deep. Meanwhile, Jesus had been taking a nap… He was untroubled by the external circumstances because he literally had access to the power over them. If we are in Him, the same spirit dwells within us. And we needn’t fear the waves—at least in comparison to the One who creates them and can control them by His will.
I certainly don’t mean that nothing bad can ever happen to us when we are in Him. Rather, we have peace in knowing He will redeem all things for our good and His glory.
Peace ≠ Tranquility
Truth is, His peace isn’t always what we might call tranquil. Sometimes, it’s steeped in conflict. In putting things right. In redemption. Those things don’t always look “tranquil.” And they can’t always be. But we should always long for His peace.
So even though I can’t offer true peace, I can offer ideas or advice that may afford you a bit of tranquility. A quiet moment. A retreat. A little rest. And though peace is the higher aim, these things aren’t bad. In fact, they can give us the breath and space and time to be still, to reconnect to the Lord, to reflect on important things, and to yield to the Spirit, who gives us real peace.
Many times in the past, and today, around the world and here at home, the lyrics to Longfellow’s poem-turned-dear-old-carol hold true. It often seems as if there is no peace. No rest to be had. For the weary or anyone else. There is sickness, strife, and anything BUT peace.
Tranquility=Good. Peace=Better.
On top of the chaos around us, we’re often overwhelmed with busy schedules, financial woes, and resulting stress and anxiety. Sometimes we try to grasp at some sort of tranquility as the antidote to those things. We watch mindless TV, we engage in “self-care.” Entire industries are built around our attempts to escape from the never-ending turmoil! But whenever you find a tranquil moment, remember, “God is not dead nor doth He sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on Earth, good-will to men.”
In 2021, I’ll be offering up some encouragement and information that I hope will afford you a few moments of “tranquil domesticity.” But rest assured I’ll be praying for you to enjoy lasting peace–the kind that surpasses all understanding!
Blessings and PEACE!
