Peaceful and Quiet – The Law of God and Public Policy

Peaceful and Quiet
The Law of God and Public Policy

Peace and quiet? Where?

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life.… 1 Timothy 1:1, 2

We are looking at the Apostle Paul’s counsel to the minister of the churches in Ephesus regarding what to work for in the way of a “good society.” Once we’ve gained an understanding of his insights to this matter, we will return to the Law of God, which Paul explained is holy and righteous and good, in order to see how it can help to guide us in thinking about policies agreeable to the formation and sustenance of a good society.

Paul’s first criteria for a good society is one in which people lead peaceful and quiet lives.

The words “peaceful and quiet” are at the heart of what many people insist is missing in our own society today. So narcissistic, self-centered, and disrespectful of persons and property have we become that few today, I suspect, would characterize their lives as “peaceful and quiet.” We are wary of just about everyone and downright fearful of some. We arm our homes with security systems and extra locks, and, for good measure, some of us even keep a little “peacemaker” ready to hand—just in case.

Evidence that we are neither a peaceful nor quiet people abounds. Listen to the uncivil tone of so much public debate, and the vulgarity that characterizes so much of everyday conversation. Hear the angry lyrics of certain kinds of pop music, and see the glorified violence in so much of contemporary film. Note the increase of road rage, domestic violence, flash mob crime, and identity theft. Observe the increasing use of security cameras in public places. Consider the dog-eat-dog atmosphere that characterizes the world of business and trade.

Such are hardly the characteristics of a people who are living together in peace and quiet. I have often heard members of a previous generation comment that, when they were young, they never locked the doors to their homes.

Imagine if that were to be widely known about your home today.

Visit our website, www.ailbe.org, and sign up to receive our thrice-weekly devotional, Crosfigell, featuring writers from the period of the Celtic Revival and T. M.’s reflections on Scripture and the Celtic Christian tradition. Does the Law of God still apply today? Order a copy of T. M.’s book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, and study the question for yourself.

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T. M. Moore, editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.