“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18, NIV
Every year in early summer, after making the transition to Delaware for the season, one of the first sights to catch my eye with intrigue is the vast acreage of farmland sprouting up with new corn. I relish in the excitement knowing that in just a few weeks my table will be graced with the mouth-watering ears of silver queen corn everyone loves. In the meantime, I have to be patient for the harvest.
Since the start of the new year, 2020, you and I have watched, listened, and felt the effects of a pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, the outbreak of violence and unrest, intolerance closing in at levels destroying friendships, marriages, and families everywhere, and a political year that is filled with vitriolic behavior across the board.
God’s Word as read in the book of James is not only beautiful but also poignant for the times in which you and I are living today. I realize not everyone shares my Christian beliefs, but surely, every reasonable person seeks wisdom on some level when trying to make sense of the current environment. Godly wisdom we are told is “…first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” Friend, is this the wisdom you see being exhibited in the news and throughout our cities and “United” States of America?
My plea in this writing is that in as much as it depends on you and me, let our thoughts and actions represent God’s wisdom as we live each day and speak to those around us. If we choose to accept the challenge, in time we will reap the harvest of sowing such seeds of wisdom.
“Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.”