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BRINGING PEACE TO ENEMY-HELD TERRITORY!

This past week a lady by the name of Mrs. Essie Mae Washington-Williams walked alone into the spotlight at the downtown Adam’s Mark Hotel in Columbia, South Carolina. As she stood in the spotlight she shared a long-held secret; a secret that she had held onto for sixty-two years. She told the world that her father was James Strom Thurmond; the man who had been a United States Senator longer than anyone else in history. A man who consistently campaigned as a segregationist.

What was she thinking? Didn’t she know that this revelation would bring embarrassment and shame to a well-established family? Didn’t she know that little or no good would come from going public with this tidbit of information? Did she even consider what this piece of malicious gossip would do to Strom Thurmond’s legacy as a U. S. Senator? Or, maybe she was thinking that she’d enjoy a good knockdown drag-out fight with Strom Thurmond’s upright and uptight family!

Well, I don’t believe she was looking for a fight. I believe she was thinking that now was the right time for the “truth” to be told. It certainly couldn’t hurt Strom Thurmond’s political career as he died in June of this year at the age of one-hundred. And as it to whether it will damage his legacy is questionable as the “truth” of the story reveals that he actually behaved as a loving father toward his daughter. So this tidbit of historical information, when seen in the broader context, may enhance what history books say about the late Senator
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But, Mrs. Essie Mae Washington-Williams was also thinking that sharing her long-held secret would bring peace to her and her family. After all, it is the things that we keep in the closet that tear us apart spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically. So, she did it to bring healing to herself, to her family, and, I believe, to the extended family of Strom Thurmond.

In my opinion, this woman ought to receive an award not simply for courage but for graciousness. Her intent, in my estimation, was not to hurt anyone. Nor, was this bit of truth-telling about money. Her intent was to bring peace to a family that was not at peace and would not be at peace as long as this long-held secret haunted their inner landscape and nagged their souls.
Confrontation! That’s what Mrs. Essie Mae Washington-Williams did this past week. She confronted the lie that it was better not to make waves and exposed it’s folly. In doing so she set herself free from the chains of a secret that had been a drag on her life for sixty-two years.

Confrontation! That’s what Paul is talking about in his closing remarks in Ephesians. He told the Ephesian believers, and he is telling us, to put on the full armor of God and confront our adversary, the Devil. We’re to put on the belt of truth, and perhaps the first loop in putting on this belt is to acknowledge that it is the lies, the secrets, it is those things we keep in the dark that kill us. So right off the bat, we’re to confront the lie that it is better not to make waves. We’re to acknowledge that it the truth that will set us free.

Then we’re to put on the breastplate of righteousness. We’re to do things in the right way for the right reasons. We’re to live blameless lives, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to God as instruments of righteousness. We’re to defeat Satan and his cohorts not by playing his game but by playing the game God’s way.

Now you may be thinking, as we look at this passage on the full armor of God, that there is nothing you like better than a good fight. You may be licking your chops and sharpening your sword thinking that this is what you were created for, a good knockdown drag out fight. You may be thinking that man was made for combat and not for comfort. You may be thinking that you were created for competition and conflict. And if you don’t think you’re thinking that way, picture yourself playing dominos!

But, the goal is not to enjoy a good fight. The goal is not to revel in the thrill of competition. The goal, as exhibited by Mrs. Essie Mae Washington-Williams, as exhibited by Jesus, is peace. For in Ephesians 6:13 - 15 we read:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
Shoes, whether they are baby shoes, walking shoes, race-walking shoes, dress shoes, high heels, spiked heels, steel-toed shoes, athletic shoes, hiking boots, cowboy boots, orthopedic shoes, or sandals - they all give a firmness and readiness to those who wear them. And, normally, they are worn with a particular activity in mind.

My mom, who was a waitress, wore shoes that gave her a firmness on linoleum, a readiness to move quickly, and that were comfortable enough to allow her to stay on her feet all day. She wore shoes that gave her a firmness and a readiness to serve others.
Just so in Ephesians, for verse 15 literally reads:
“ and having shod yourselves as to the feet in readiness (en hetoimasia) of the gospel of peace.”
The word translated “readiness” in the NIV can also signify a prepared foundation or a firm footing. The New English Bible translates v. 15 with this possibility in mind. It reads:
“ Let the shoes on your feet be the gospel of peace, to give you a firm footing.”
The New Living Translation keys in on the same idea. It reads:
For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.”

This makes a lot of sense in that we expect our shoes, regardless of the activity we’re involved in, to give us a sure footing. And, assuming we have accepted the Good News, assuming we have placed our trust in Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace, we enjoy the sure footing that comes with having peace with God, with ourselves, and with each other.
But the Greek Word that is sometimes translated with the idea of “firmness” can also be translated with the idea of “readiness” in mind. When it is looked at in this way the verse is telling us to always be ready to live out the Good News of peace. In practice this seldom means cornering someone with the Four Spiritual Laws or steering them down the Roman Road when they are not ready to go down that road.

Nor does it mean that our goal in this struggle with the spiritual forces of darkness is to simply defeat Satan and his cohorts. We don’t engage in combat for the sole sake of vanquishing our enemy. We are engaged as soldiers of Christ so as to bring peace to all those we touch throughout the week.

In general, this means that in our marriages we practice mutual submission, in our work environment we have a servant’s heart, toward unbelievers we are alert to opportunities while our conversations are full of grace and seasoned with salt, and in our church we maintain the unity of the body. Our goal is peace in the midst of a battle-worn and battle-torn world.

In particular, this may mean serving as a mediator between two individuals who are at odds with each other. It may mean being a listening ear. It may be praying for someone who is in the heat of a particular skirmish. It may mean knocking on someone’s door and asking them to forgive you. It may mean going across the street to serve your neighbor so as to draw them to the Good News. Or, as in the case of Mrs. Essie Mae Washington-Williams it may mean keeping quiet for sixty-two years so as not to hurt someone’s career. And, as with her, it may mean speaking up at just the right time to bring about true healing within a family.

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