We Believe…We Have Faith…But Where’s the Peace?

Throughout this Lent we’ve seen the Apostles, Samaritans, Martha, and Mary say, “I believe.” But what does it mean to “believe”? What and how should we believe?

We’ve all heard the adage, “If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck and swims like a duck…” So why do people still question what’s quacking, waddling, and swimming? The Apostles saw Jesus heal, teach, and cast out demons; yet Peter denied he knew Jesus.

Sometimes we need to “unlearn” what we, as adults, “know” to be true and regain the way children believe—with pure faith that leads to peace.

If a young girl is scared, she listens to her grandma, who says, “No child, there are no monsters under the bed. Now come here.” The grandma stays with and comforts the little girl, helping her find peace as she hums a lullaby, and the little girl drifts off to sleep.

Or when a scared little boy approaches a busy street—cars whizzing by, honking, making noise. He takes his grandpa’s hand, and as soon as his little hand slips into grandpa’s old and weathered fingers the boy is at peace. He believes his grandpa will get him safely across that dangerous street.

Today (like the Samaritans, Apostles, Martha and Mary) we’ve forgotten how to believe—as a child. To have faith—as a child. And be at peace—as a child. To “unlearn” what we as adults “know” to be true.

—A little story—

I was born a farming ranch kid with more cattle than my little fingers could count. My whole adult family knew the neighbors to the south were sheep farmers—dirty, stinking, rotten sheep farmers—and believed they were evil because they dared to raise sheep in cattle country.

One night we saw a glow coming from our northern neighboring cattle farm. Their barn and hay were on fire. Soon every farmer and rancher for a twenty-mile radius came—putting out flames, moving livestock, saving what they could. The shepherd was the first to arrive and the last to leave, even though he knew how all the cattle ranchers felt.

The cattle ranchers helped rebuild the barn, but no one had extra hay for his stock of hundreds of mouths to feed. One night, several semi-trucks pulled into the farmyard. The lead driver said, “Someone anonymously sent us. Where do you want it?” It was eight semi-truck loads of hay! Later we found out the shepherd freely gave the hay, asking nothing in return.

We had believed what others said about the shepherd, instead of listening to the preaching of his actions. Our eyes were finally opened to childlike believing, with faith and goodness—finally finding peace with him. Like our eyes being opened, Peter and the “other apostle” in next week’s Gospel finally believed when they see the empty tomb. They finally understand and have faith in what Jesus has been showing, teaching, and modeling for three years. Finally finding peace.

So, this Easter, what could you:

• “unlearn”? Something you “know” to be true but isn’t?
• find faith in, like a child, and find peace?

Ben Bongers, 2023