Kung Fu Peace

On Tuesday my son and I enjoyed the second installment of Kung Fu Panda 2 at the Aksarben theatre.  It was $1 popcorn and pop Tuesday so our hands were full of buttered goodness and our mouths were full of laughter as "Po" the Dragon Warrior battled "Lord Shin" of the Peacock Clan and his weapon of destruction.  The action and humor were expected but the lesson on peace was a pleasant surprise.  Po wasn't in search of just victory, but also inner peace as he attempted to discover the reason for his parent's disappearance.  
The lesson and affirmation that Po receives at the end are positive and ample justification for inner peace.  But yesterday my mind began to dwell on the peace that Paul talks about in Philippians 4:6-7.  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 
The peace that Po seeks out is one that is beneficial but limited.  It puts to rest our anxiousness concerning specific situations for a limited period of time.  Once we achieve that peace it is the result of our own efforts.  Either by accepting our circumstances in a positive perspective or by controlling our emotions, our efforts direct us to this place of inner tranquility.  
This type of peace is achieved in many ways in our society.  Exercise, yoga, meditation, counseling, solitude and even Kung Fu.  The list goes on.  The roots of this approach can be found in ancient eastern philosophies as well as western philosophies, such as the Greek Stoicism that emerged in the 3rd century BC.  It taught the development of of self-control and virtue as a means for overcoming self-destructive emotions.  
Some have suggested that there is a hint of Stoicism in Paul's language in Philippians 4:6-7 since Paul spent a great deal of time among the philosophers in Athens (see Acts 17).  But the reality is, the peace that Paul proclaims in this passage surpasses anything that we can accomplish on this earth.  
Paul is clear that this is not just another philosophy when he uses the phrase "exceeds anything we can understand."  The original Greek for "understand" is "reason in the narrower sense."  Let's face it, our understanding of peace is quite narrow no matter how we achieve it on this earth.  But the peace found in Christ transcends anything we can comprehend - and the best part is, it lasts.  It's not temporary or limited to specific life situations or seasons.  
What separates the Philippians peace from the peace that Po finds in Kung Fu is it's source.  Paul uses the phrase "in Christ" 51 times in his various letters of the New Testament.  This phrase is so common for Paul because it is his one and only power source.  It's no longer himself or religion as he notes in Philippians 3 - "though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could."  He realized that way of life brought little or no peace at all.  It was "in Christ" where he discovered a peace that his mind could not wrap itself around.
I'm sure if Paul were here today he would have enjoyed Jack Black's humor in this sequel and a little "Kung Fu Fighting."  But he would have disagreed with Po's teacher "Master Shifu," the wise old red panda.  True and lasting inner Peace is not found here on earth.  It's only found "in Christ."