Humans are difficult. They are unpredictable and complicated. Science is better. You can put down everything in a formula. Nice, clear math. And as long as you know the boundaries of its validity, you can calculate the correct result. (Assuming, of course, you know all the variables.) Humans seem to have one big formula with millions of variables and math beyond quantum mechanics. So, it becomes even impossible, to write down the formula, let alone calculate a result. But sometimes a scientific principle seems to be true, even for complicated beings like us. I like that. The people around me become a bit calculate-able.
One of the biggest (if not THE biggest) driving force in the universe is entropy. Simply put, it describes the tendency of all things to be in the state with the lowest energy possible. Balls roll down a hill, because that way, they can get rid of the energy you need, to bring them up there. Things fall apart, because staying together is too exhausting. (This is as true for machines as it is for empires.) Ordered systems are driven to chaos. (That is something easily observable in dorm rooms.) And this force seems so fundamental, that it is not only true for students. We all have the tendency to go the path of least resistance. We create ourselves a nest to dwell in. This is the area we know, we can control. This is our comfort zone. When you watch people acting outside their comfort zone, you will often find a force (an emotion, a conviction) stronger than the desire for rest and peace. When I meet people, who do things, I wouldn’t have the strength for, I try to find out, what motivates them. Those stories, though often painful, are among the most beautiful.
I can’t shake the feeling though, that our desire for this state of lowest energy, is part of the curse of the Fall. When Adam and Eve chose their way instead of God’s, they opted for their own peace and tranquillity. And God responded, “if this is the world, you want to live in, so be it.” And now we are stuck with a constant battle against decay. But then there is Jesus. He is not effected by this. He, in a sense, still lives in paradise. He did not go his own way. He stayed with His Father. And what a comfort zone that must be. We never see Him struggling with anxiety, panic, or fear. He is always, where He is supposed to be. (As the greater Gandalf, He is never late, nor is He early, He arrives precisely, when His Father wants Him to.) This kind of peace does not compare to mine. Not in the least. I feel constantly like I’m missing out on something. I don’t know real peace. When things are too calm, I become suspicious. Whatever my comfort zone is, real peace it is not. If I could treat my comfort for real peace, God’s Peace, I would do it in an heartbeat. But there is this issue of security, of control. I built my nest, because I can fortify it and control everything. At least, that is the lie, I am telling myself.
Jesus is not the only example of someone in peace. Besides a few people in the Old Testament, the disciples of Jesus seem to be at ease as well. Leave my only source of income to walk with a guy, whom I have never met before, without knowing, what tomorrow will bring? Sure. Stepping out on the water, because He told me to? Of course. Hiking into the desert with a few thousand others and nothing to eat? No problem. And why shouldn’t they? Jesus had proven, that He is the most powerful person in the face of the earth. Why should I worry, when that guy is protecting me? I shouldn’t. There is simply no need. And He is here ever since, stretching out His hand to us, inviting us into His Peace, His Protection. We can give up the illusion of our comfort zone and let Him be the driving force of our lives. This way, we can begin to write the most beautiful stories.
