Peace with the FHP
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV Cycle C
This text includes a reference to all three persons of the Trinity. It also quickly includes references to some of the major themes of the Christian faith, like justification, faith, peace, and love.
I'm interested in the phrase "peace with God." What does that mean? Was I at some point not at peace with God, or God was not at peace with me? Like I was at war with God?
The verse is not talking about having the peace of God, but being at peace with God. Big difference. To explore this further, let me tell you about Pat Thomason.
Thomason gets up in the morning to go to work in St. Augustine, Florida. He puts on his jeans, shirts, and orange hardhat, an orange reflective vest, and heads for the highway. You'd think he was working construction.
No, not working construction. You can figure that out when he pulls a tripod out of the trunk of his car, and sets a surveying instrument on top of it, screwing it down firmly. Then he positions the equipment so that it is peering down the shoulder of the highway. After taking an initial sighting, he signals to coworkers that he's ready to proceed.
I've often wondered just what those surveyors are working on. It's a science that's beyond my ability to understand. Now watch Thomason closely. If you were peering over his shoulder, you would see him look into the sexton, or whatever it is. On his little screen, there's a red laser dot. It is trained on an oncoming vehicle.
That's strange. Thomason pulls a trigger and a number pops up: 81. Thomason then snaps on his walkie-talkie and speaks to one of his coworkers: "Maroon Honda Civic, left lane, Georgia plates, doing 81."
Uh-oh. It's Officer Thomason. About a quarter mile down the road, a Florida Highway Patrol cop on a motorcycle eases on to the highway, flashes his lights, and pulls the hapless driver of the Honda over. The man is caught dead to rights. It's a $159 fine, and had the road been in a cone zone, the fine would've been double: $318.
Sneaky, but effective. Thomason is part of a new initiative called Operation Hardhat, an attempt by the FHP to flush out speeders in construction zones. The FHP wants drivers to be aware of this sting, so that when they enter a construction zone, they'll never be sure whether the guys in hardhats are guys in hardhats or FHP with laser speed guns. The Operation Hardhat officers hide out in dump trucks, peer around road graders, and pretend to be surveyors.
Now, how does the driver of the Honda Civic with the Georgia plates get peace with the FHP? He appears in court, or he mails in his fine. Then the State of Florida is at peace with him, and he with it. End of story.
When Paul says we have peace with God, he is making a statement of law, a juridical assessment of our condition before God. The fine has been paid. There are no outstanding judgments against us. We're free to live in obedience to God, and let the Holy Spirit pour his love into our hearts.
That's a pretty good peace.
I'm interested in the phrase "peace with God." What does that mean? Was I at some point not at peace with God, or God was not at peace with me? Like I was at war with God?
The verse is not talking about having the peace of God, but being at peace with God. Big difference. To explore this further, let me tell you about Pat Thomason.
Thomason gets up in the morning to go to work in St. Augustine, Florida. He puts on his jeans, shirts, and orange hardhat, an orange reflective vest, and heads for the highway. You'd think he was working construction.
No, not working construction. You can figure that out when he pulls a tripod out of the trunk of his car, and sets a surveying instrument on top of it, screwing it down firmly. Then he positions the equipment so that it is peering down the shoulder of the highway. After taking an initial sighting, he signals to coworkers that he's ready to proceed.
I've often wondered just what those surveyors are working on. It's a science that's beyond my ability to understand. Now watch Thomason closely. If you were peering over his shoulder, you would see him look into the sexton, or whatever it is. On his little screen, there's a red laser dot. It is trained on an oncoming vehicle.
That's strange. Thomason pulls a trigger and a number pops up: 81. Thomason then snaps on his walkie-talkie and speaks to one of his coworkers: "Maroon Honda Civic, left lane, Georgia plates, doing 81."
Uh-oh. It's Officer Thomason. About a quarter mile down the road, a Florida Highway Patrol cop on a motorcycle eases on to the highway, flashes his lights, and pulls the hapless driver of the Honda over. The man is caught dead to rights. It's a $159 fine, and had the road been in a cone zone, the fine would've been double: $318.
Sneaky, but effective. Thomason is part of a new initiative called Operation Hardhat, an attempt by the FHP to flush out speeders in construction zones. The FHP wants drivers to be aware of this sting, so that when they enter a construction zone, they'll never be sure whether the guys in hardhats are guys in hardhats or FHP with laser speed guns. The Operation Hardhat officers hide out in dump trucks, peer around road graders, and pretend to be surveyors.
Now, how does the driver of the Honda Civic with the Georgia plates get peace with the FHP? He appears in court, or he mails in his fine. Then the State of Florida is at peace with him, and he with it. End of story.
When Paul says we have peace with God, he is making a statement of law, a juridical assessment of our condition before God. The fine has been paid. There are no outstanding judgments against us. We're free to live in obedience to God, and let the Holy Spirit pour his love into our hearts.
That's a pretty good peace.
