We are all familiar with the coming of a peace into our life at the terminus of some great strain or after we have weathered a staggering crisis. When a long-continued pain which has racked our nerves passes away and leaves us free, we suddenly come into a zone of peace. When we have been watching by a bedside where a life, unspeakably precious to us, has lain in the grip of some terrible disease and at length successfully passes the crisis, we walk out into the fields under the altered sky and feel a peace settle down upon us, which makes the whole world look different. Or, again, we have been facing some threatening catastrophe1 which seemed likely to break in on[2] our life and perhaps end forever the calm and even tenor2 of it, and just when the hour of danger seemed darkest and our fear was at its height, some sudden turn of things has brought a happy shift of events, the danger has passed, and a great peace has come over us instead of the threatened trouble. In all these cases the peace which succeeds pain and strain and anxiety is a thoroughly3 natural, reasonable peace, a peace which comes in normal sequence and is quite accessible to the understanding. We should be surprised and should need an explanation if we heard of an instance of a passing pain or a yielding strain that was not followed by a corresponding sense of peace. One who has seen a child that was lost in a crowded city suddenly find his mother and find safety in her dear arms has seen a good case of this sequential peace, this peace which the understanding can grasp and comprehend. We behold4 it and say, “How otherwise!”
There is, St. Paul reminds us, another kind of peace of quite a different order. It baffles the understanding and transcends5 its categories. It is a peace which comes, not after the pain is relieved, not after the crisis has passed, not after the danger has disappeared; but in the midst of the pain, while the crisis is still on, and even in[3] the imminent6 presence of the danger. It is a peace that is not banished7 or destroyed by the frustrations10 which beset11 our lives; rather it is in and through the frustrations that we first come upon it and enter into it, as, to use St. Paul’s phrase, into a garrison12 which guards our hearts and minds.
Each tested soul has to meet its own peculiar13 frustrations. All of us who work for “causes” or who take up any great piece of moral or spiritual service in the world know more about defeats and disappointments than we do about success and triumphs. We have to learn to be patient and long-suffering. We must become accustomed to postponements and delays, and sometimes we see the work of almost a lifetime suddenly fail of its end. Some turn of events upsets all our noble plans and frustrates15 the result, just when it appeared ready to arrive. Death falls like lightning on a home that had always before seemed sheltered and protected, and instantly life is profoundly altered for those who are left behind. Nothing can make up for the loss. There is no substitute for what is gone. The accounts will not balance; frustration9 in another form confronts us. Or it may be a breakdown16 of physical or mental powers, or peradventure[4] both together, just when the emergencies of the world called for added energy and increased range of power from us. The need is plain, the harvest is ripe, but the worker’s hand fails and he must contract when he would most expand. Frustration looks him straight in the face. Well, to achieve a peace under those circumstances is to have a peace which does not follow a normal sequence. It is not what the world expects. It does not accord with the ways of thought and reasoning. It passes all understanding. It brings another kind of world into operation and reveals a play of invisible forces upon which the understanding had not reckoned. In fact, this strange intellect-transcending peace, in the very midst of storm and strain and trial, is one of the surest evidences there is of God. One may in his own humble17 nerve-power succeed in acquiring a stoic18 resignation so that he can say,
“In the fell clutch of circumstance
Under the bludgeonings of chance
He may, by sheer force of will, keep down the lid upon his emotions and go on so nearly unmoved that his fellows can hear no groan21 and[5] will wonder at the way he stands the universe. But peace in the soul is another matter. To have the whole heart and mind garrisoned22 with peace even in Nero’s dungeon23, when the imperial death sentence brings frustration to all plans and a terminus to all spiritual work, calls for some world-transcending assistance to the human spirit. Such peace is explained only when we discover that it is “the peace of God,” and that it came because the soul broke through the ebbings and flowings of time and space and allied24 itself with the Eternal.
II
THE SEARCH FOR A REFUGE
Few things are more impressive than the persistent25 search which men have made in all ages for a refuge against the dangers and the ills that beset life. The cave-men, the cliff-dwellers, the primitive26 builders of shelters in inaccessible27 tree tops, are early examples of the search for human defenses against fear. Civilization slowly perfected methods of refuge and defense28 of elaborate types, which, in turn, had to compete with ever-increasing ingenuity29 of attack and assault.[6] But I am not concerned here with these material strongholds of refuge and defense. I am thinking rather of the human search for shelter against other weapons than those which kill the body. We are all trying, in one way or another, to discover how to escape from “the heavy and weary weight of all this unintelligible30 world,” how to bear the slings31 and arrows of outrageous32 fortune. We are sensitively constructed, with nerves exposed to easy attack. We are all shelterless at some point to the storms of the world. Even the most perfectly33 equipped and impervious34 heroes prove to be vulnerable at some one uncovered spot. Sooner or later our protections fail, and the pitiless enemies of our happiness get through the defenses and reach the quick and sensitive soul within us. How to rebuild our refuge, how to find real shelter, is our problem. What fortress35 is there in which the soul is safe from fear and trouble?
The most common expedient36 is one which will drug the sensitive nerves and produce an easy relief from strain and worry. There is a magic in alcohol and kindred distillations, which, like Aladdin’s genie37, builds a palace of joy and, for the moment, banishes38 the enemy of all peace. The refuge seems complete. All fear is gone,[7] worry is a thing of the past. The jargon39 of life is over, the pitiless problem of good and evil drops out of consciousness. The shelterless soul seems covered and housed. Intoxication40 is only one of the many quick expedients41. It is always possible to retreat from the edge of strenuous42 battle into some one of the many natural instincts as a way of refuge. The great instinctive43 emotions are absorbing, and tend to obliterate44 everything else. They occupy the entire stage of the inner drama, and push all other actors away from the footlights of consciousness, so that here, too, the enemies of peace and joy seem vanquished45, and the refuge appears to be found.
That multitudes accept these easy ways of defense against the ills of life is only too obvious. The medieval barons46 who could build themselves castles of safety were few in number. Visible refuges in any case are rare and scarce, but the escape from the burdens and defeats of the world in drink and drug and thrilling instinctive emotion is, without much difficulty, open to every man and within easy reach for rich and poor alike, and many there be that seize upon this method. The trouble with it is that it is a very temporary refuge. It works, if at all, only for a brief span. It plays havoc47 in the future with those who resort[8] to it. It rolls up new liabilities to the ills one would escape. It involves far too great a price for the tiny respite48 gained. And, most of all, it discounts or fails to reckon with the inherent greatness of the human soul. We are fashioned for stupendous issues. Our very sense of failure and defeat comes from a touch of the infinite in our being. We look before and after, and sigh for that which is not, just because we can not be contented49 with finite fragments of time and space. We are meant for greater things than these trivial ones which so often get our attention and absorb us; but the moment the soul comes to itself, its reach goes beyond the grasp, and it feels an indescribable discontent and longing50 for that for which it was made. To seek refuge, therefore, in some narcotic51 joy, to still the onward52 yearning53 of the soul by drowning consciousness, to banish8 the pain of pursuit by a barbaric surge of emotions, is to strike against the noblest trait of our spiritual structure; it means committing suicide of the soul. It cannot be a real man’s way of relief.
In fact, nothing short of finding the goal and object for which the soul, the spiritual nature in us, is fitted will ever do for beings like us. St. Augustine, in words of immortal54 beauty, has said[9] that God has made us for himself, and our hearts are restless until we rest in him. It is not a theory of poet or theologian. It is a simple fact of life, as veritable as the human necessity for food. There is no other shelter for the soul, no other refuge or fortress will ever do for us but God. “We tremble and we burn. We tremble, knowing that we are unlike him. We burn, feeling that we are like him.”
In hours of loss and sorrow, when the spurious props55 fail us, we are more apt to find our way back to the real refuge. We are suddenly made aware of our shelterless condition, alone, and in our own strength. Our stoic armor and our brave defenses of pride become utterly56 inadequate57. We are thrown back on reality. We have then our moments of sincerity58 and insight. We feel that we cannot live without resources from beyond our own domain59. We must have God. It is then, when one knows that nothing else whatever will do, that the great discovery is made. Again and again the psalms60 announce this. When the world has caved in; when the last extremity61 has been reached; when the billows and water-spouts of fortune have done their worst, you hear the calm, heroic voice of the lonely man saying: “God is our refuge and fortress,[10] therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.” That is great experience, but it is not reserved for psalmists and rare patriarchs like Job. It is a privilege for common mortals like us who struggle and agonize62 and feel the thorn in the flesh, and the bitter tragedy of life unhealed. Whether we make the discovery or not, God is there with us in the furnace. Only it makes all the difference if we do find him as the one high tower where refuge is not for the passing moment only, but is an eternal attainment64.
III
WHAT WE WANT MOST
There are many things which we want—things for which we struggle hard and toil65 painfully. Like the little child with his printed list for Santa Claus, we have our list, longer or shorter, of precious things which we hope to see brought within our reach before we are gathered to our fathers. The difference is that the child is satisfied if he gets one thing which is on his list. We want everything on ours. The world is full[11] of hurry and rush, push and scramble66, each man bent67 on winning some one of his many goals. But, in spite of this excessive effort to secure the tangible68 goods of the earth, it is nevertheless true that deep down in the heart most men want the peace of God. If you have an opportunity to work your way into that secret place where a man really lives, you will find that he knows perfectly well that he is missing something. This feeling of unrest and disquiet69 gets smothered70 for long periods in the mass of other aims, and some men hardly know that they have such a thing as an immortal soul hidden away within. But, even so, it will not remain quiet. It cries out like the lost child who misses his home. When the hard games of life prove losing ones, when the stupidity of striving so fiercely for such bubbles comes over him, when a hand from the dark catches away the best earthly comfort he had, when the genuine realities of life assert themselves over sense, he wakes up to find himself hungry and thirsty for something which no one of his earthly pursuits has supplied or can supply. He wants God. He wants peace. He wants to feel his life founded on an absolute reality. He wants to have the same sort of peace and quiet steal over him which used to come when as a child he[12] ran to his mother and had all the ills of life banished from thought in the warm love of her embrace.
But it is not only the driving, pushing man, ambitious for wealth and position, who misses the best thing there is to get—the peace of God. Many persons who are directly seeking it miss it. Here is a man who hopes to find it by solving all his difficult intellectual problems. When he can answer the hard questions which life puts to him, and read the riddles71 which the ages have left unread, he thinks his soul will feel the peace of God. Not so, because each problem opens into a dozen more. It is a noble undertaking72 to help read the riddles of the universe, but let no one expect to enter into the peace of God by such a path. Here is another person who devotes herself to nothing but to seeking the peace of God. Will she not find it? Not that way. It is not found when it is sought for its own sake. He or she who is living to get the joy of divine peace, who would “have no joy but calm,” will probably never have the peace which passeth understanding. Like all the great blessings73, it comes as a by-product74 when one is seeking something else. Christ’s peace came to him not because he sought it, but because he accepted the divine will which[13] led to Gethsemane and Calvary. Paul’s peace did not flow over him while he was in Arabia seeking it, but while he was in Nero’s prison, whither the path of his labors75 for helping76 men had led him. He who forgets himself in loving devotion, he who turns aside from his self-seeking aims to carry joy into any life, he who sets about doing any task for the love of God, has found the only possible road to the permanent peace of God.
There are no doubt a great many persons working for the good of others and for the betterment of the world who yet do not succeed in securing the peace of God. They are in a frequent state of nerves; they are busy here and there, rushing about perplexed77 and weary, fussy78 and irritable79. With all their efforts to promote good causes, they do not quite attain63 the poise80 and calm of interior peace. They are like the tumultuous surface of the ocean with its combers and its spray, and they seldom know the deep quiet like that of the underlying81, submerged waters far below the surface. The trouble with them is that they are carrying themselves all the time. They do not forget themselves in their aims of service. They are like the ill person who is so eager to get well that he keeps watching[14] his tongue, feeling his pulse, and getting his weight. Peace does not come to one who is watching continually for the results of his work, or who is wondering what people are saying about it, or who is envious82 and jealous of other persons working in the same field, or who is touchy83 about “honor” or recognition. Those are just the attitudes which frustrate14 peace and make it stay away from one’s inner self.
There is a higher level of work and service and ministry84, which, thank God, men like us can reach. It is attained85 when one swings out into a way of life which is motived and controlled by genuine sincere love and devotion, when consecration86 obliterates87 self-seeking, when in some measure, like Christ, the worker can say without reservations, “Not my will but thine be done.”
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1
catastrophe
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| n.大灾难，大祸 | |
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tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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transcends
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| 超出或超越（经验、信念、描写能力等）的范围( transcend的第三人称单数 )； 优于或胜过… | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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8
banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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frustrations
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| 挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意 | |
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beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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frustrate
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| v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦 | |
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frustrates
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| v.使不成功( frustrate的第三人称单数 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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stoic
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| n.坚忍克己之人，禁欲主义者 | |
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winced
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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garrisoned
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| 卫戍部队守备( garrison的过去式和过去分词 )； 派部队驻防 | |
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dungeon
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| n.地牢，土牢 | |
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allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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unintelligible
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| adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的 | |
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slings
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| 抛( sling的第三人称单数 )； 吊挂； 遣送； 押往 | |
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outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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impervious
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| adj.不能渗透的，不能穿过的，不易伤害的 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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genie
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| n.妖怪，神怪 | |
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banishes
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的第三人称单数 ) | |
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jargon
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| n.术语，行话 | |
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40
intoxication
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| n.wild excitement;drunkenness；poisoning | |
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expedients
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| n.应急有效的，权宜之计的( expedient的名词复数 ) | |
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42
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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instinctive
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| adj.(出于)本能的；直觉的；(出于)天性的 | |
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obliterate
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| v.擦去，涂抹，去掉...痕迹，消失，除去 | |
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45
vanquished
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| v.征服( vanquish的过去式和过去分词 )；战胜；克服；抑制 | |
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46
barons
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| 男爵( baron的名词复数 )； 巨头； 大王； 大亨 | |
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havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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respite
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| n.休息，中止，暂缓 | |
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49
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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50
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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51
narcotic
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| n.麻醉药，镇静剂；adj.麻醉的，催眠的 | |
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52
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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yearning
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| a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的 | |
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54
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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props
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| 小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋 | |
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56
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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57
inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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59
domain
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| n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围 | |
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psalms
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| n.赞美诗( psalm的名词复数 )；圣诗；圣歌；(中的) | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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agonize
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| v.使受苦，使苦闷 | |
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attain
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| vt.达到，获得，完成 | |
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attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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toil
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| vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事 | |
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66
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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tangible
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| adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的 | |
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disquiet
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| n.担心，焦虑 | |
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70
smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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71
riddles
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| n.谜（语）( riddle的名词复数 )；猜不透的难题，难解之谜 | |
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undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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73
blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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by-product
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| n.副产品，附带产生的结果 | |
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labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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fussy
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| adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的 | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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80
poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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81
underlying
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| adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的 | |
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82
envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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83
touchy
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| adj.易怒的；棘手的 | |
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84
ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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85
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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86
consecration
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| n.供献，奉献，献祭仪式 | |
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obliterates
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| v.除去( obliterate的第三人称单数 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭 | |
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