A Prudent Approach to Peace

This morning at 3:45 I was shaken from sleep by an emergency warning about flash flooding that blared from my cell phone. How can this device be called a “smart phone” when it warns a person who lives on the fourth floor of a monastery about flooding? Clearly I have to outsmart my phone by adjusting the notification settings.

This event reminded me of Jesus’ advice to “Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come” (Mark 13:33). On the other hand, Psalm 62 says, “God alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be disturbed.” How do we maintain a balance between keeping alert and being at peace because of our trust in God?

If we hear on the evening news that a storm is approaching, it is prudent to pull our flashlights out of the closet and make sure they work. Similarly, in the parable that Jesus told about wise and foolish virgins, the prudence of being well supplied with oil for a vigil was rewarded. Prudence is a form of being alert, of anticipating what might occur; it is a characteristic of the wise. However, wise people also know that they can’t rely wholly on themselves. Ultimately, our lives are in the hands of God who is always with us, whatever storms or challenges come our way.

We can both be prudent and be at peace by placing our trust in God. Clearly this is a much wiser course than placing our trust in our cell phones!