Lay of the Land

It is easy to understand why we seek peace and harmony.  It is natural.  It is desirable.  It takes far less energy than being at war.  Is this the real goal of life?  Is this something we should seek above all else?  Is this the holy grail of living?
 
From our behavior, at least my own, it is far higher on my list of priorities than I am willing to admit.  Given some of the compromises, avoided conflicts, and waffling stands, it is the top.  I wonder if peace and harmony have found their correct balance.  I suspect both are misunderstood.
 
It is natural to believe in our contribution to bad causes and events.  We make poor decisions and chaos comes.  We take actions we later regret and conflicts are born.  We struggle to take stands we know are important while communities lose sight of the truth.  Bad results are born and live on beyond our confessions and apologies.
 
Yet the chaos of this world isn’t always the result of a single bad choice.  In many ways the choices of those worshipping the god of self, bad communication, or simple ignorance gives birth to the chaos and turmoil we live it.  This is simply the lay of the land as we know it.  The harsh reality is that “your fine valleys are noisy with war, chariots and cavalry charging this way and that.”  (Isaiah 22.7)  The only question is how we respond.
 
It is far more important, from my experience, to determine what choice we will make right know than to know what might happen in the future.  It is far more critical to understand what it as risk in the present than to worry about what might, could, or will happen tomorrow.  It is more relevant to understand where we stand than worry about where we have been.
 
The world around us can seem confusing, complex, and difficult.  It is all of that and more.  Yet the choice of being part of a compassionate, merciful, and accepting community are actually quite simple.