A dust-up in the First Reading about what rules and regulations from Jewish law would be imposed on new [Gentile] Christians who were not Jewish. It all makes a point: this debate occurred and its resolution was reached in order to overcome disturbance of the peace of mind of members of the Church.
Peace - that most prized and scarce of realities. A peace it does seem at times that the world cannot give – only God can. And many are the disturbances of life. Being upset, disappointed, jealous, angry or lonely. Feeling a lack of confidence, or a lack of something can make us greedy, possessive, even lustful. We live in a culture of success, where everything is built on the idea of ascent, with everything on the rise be they prices or expectation. It's a world where you fix and control. In that culture ironically most of the learning is done in the darker emotions. After the age of 30 everything worth learning comes from the experience of failure, disappointment, humiliation, loneliness and loss. At such times, we would do well to pray to the Holy Spirit; “Peace I leave to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.” It will keep us calm and and at peace.
(Comments to Tom at tomascox@eircom.net )