Coco Calling No.203 - The Peace and Love of God

I recently had a rather special outing! I was invited to join my owner as he took a service at a local Methodist Church. And I’m pleased to say that I was very well behaved. I sat on his shoulder throughout the service and even tried to join in with some of the hymns. And not only that. I even sat tight when someone in the music group started beating a drum and clashing some symbols together. But most amazing of all was that I continued to sit quietly on my owner’s shoulder throughout the entirety of his sermon!

After the service, my owner didn’t get a great deal of feedback, so he asked me what I thought about his sermon. And I gave this reply.

“It reminded me of the peace and love of God!”

My owner was thrilled:

“No one has ever said that about my preaching before. Tell me how it touched you.”

So I told him straight:

“Well, it reminded me of the Peace of God because it surpassed all understanding, and the love of God because it endured for ever!”

I hope he wasn’t too offended.

Joking aside, the peace and love of God are what the majority of us crave for most, even when we’re not aware of it. In a world so full of angst and anxiety, God’s peace and love offer us comfort, hope, a sense of well-being and calm even when everything seems to be rocking around us. Real peace comes from forgiveness and forgiveness comes from love. And both form the essence of God’s being. His store of love is rather like an ocean; you can see the beginning of it but you can never see the end…

“Think of the purest, most all-consuming love you can imagine. Now multiply that love by an infinite amount; that is the measure of God’s love for you.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf: 1940-present: German evangelist)

“The love of God is not created -it is His nature.”

(Oswald Chambers: 1874-1917: Scottish Baptist evangelist)

So maybe I shouldn’t make fun of my owner anymore because he is trying to do his best for God, and God will always direct him and work through him. And if I’m honest, I very much enjoyed my visit to the church and hope I can go with him again!

“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me

sow love.”

(St. Francis of Assisi: 1181-1226: Italian Catholic Saint and founder of the Franciscan Order)

“Finally brothers, goodbye. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you all.”

(2 Corinthians 13:14)

“And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:7)

“No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.”

(Croft M. Pentz: 1931-2008: American pastor and evangelist)