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Listening For The Voice That Says, “Peace Be Still”

Readers of the classic comic strip Peanuts will recall Snoopy’s innumerable attempts to write a novel — which always began with the same sentence, “It was a dark and stormy night.” In all the years that the late Charles M. Schulz drew the strip, Snoopy never finished writing that book, or even progressed very far beyond this infamous opening. Many fans never knew that Snoopy’s first line wasn’t original.

The line is actually the beginning passage of the novel Paul Clifford, written in 1830 by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Typical of his time, he wrote in a flamboyant style, using an excessive amount of words, that would never be seen in publication today — the kind of flowery writing we call “purple prose.”

At some point in our life, we all have chapters that begin with, “It was a dark and stormy night.” Like poor Snoopy, we often find ourselves at a loss to make the rest of the story lead toward a happy ending. Neither the darkness nor the storm is literal — rather, they are the darkness of anguish, grief, and doubt, and the storms of raging forces about us that we are powerless to control.

We cower in tears within the shuddering walls of our lives, covering our ears to shut out the icy wind howling outside our windows and the pounding of the rain against our roofs. If ever a Bible story were to begin, “It was a dark and stormy night,” it would have to be the account of Jesus and His disciples on the boat in the middle of Lake Gennesaret (often called the Sea of Galilee).

During a violent storm, the apostles were appalled that Jesus slept in the hold of the boat while they feared for their lives — “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Jesus, arising, silenced the storm with three small words — “Peace, Be still” (Mark 4:35-39) Sometimes, on our dark and stormy nights, we, like Jesus’ followers, rail against Him for appearing to disregard our misfortunes.

We wonder why He does not arise for us as He did for them, and eliminate our troubles with a quick, “Peace, be still.” We ask, “Does He not care whether or not we are overtaken and consumed by the circumstances that beset us?”

We need to be reminded that our experience may be like that of Elijah:

“And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

We may have to endure a few whirlwinds, earthquakes, and fires before we’re ready to listen quietly to the voice of God, speaking to us through His word. The dark and stormy night may be preparing us for Wisdom yet to come (James 1:3-5; cf. Proverbs 2:1-6). The psalmists of the sons of Korah wrote:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling” (Psalm 46:1-3).

Does the earth ever shake beneath our feet? Do the mountains of our universe crumble into the ocean? Do the waters of stormy life flail around us and terrify us? Yes, sometimes they do. And in those times, God speaks to us through His Spirit, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

The older this writer gets, the fewer things I fear. Some fears are lessened because of mature understanding. For example, I know there are no monsters in the bedroom closet, or under the bed. Some fears fade through resignation — I am fully aware that awful things happen in life, but I also realize I can’t change that fact, and go on.

And yet, there remains a little child within me that is still afraid of the dark and stormy night and the many horrors associated with it. However, the more mature person in me is learning to listen for and to the Voice that says, “Peace, Be still.”

—Michael D. Rankins, Penngrove church of Christ