[Jesus said:] “As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.”

“It’s going down, I’m yelling timber. You better move, you better dance. Let’s make a night you won’t remember. I’ll be the one you won’t forget. Swing your partner round and round, end of the night, it’s going down, one more shot, another round.”

One of the most important spiritual concepts in life is that we can be positive in our approach to life if we want. Granted that there are negative experiences that we all have, and some of them quite overwhelming, but in the end, we can still be very positive in the way we go about our living. We can make good things happen no matter what.

Such seems to be the thought of Jesus as he sent his disciples out into the towns in which Jesus intended to visit. He told his disciples to wish those places peace, saying in effect that they should allow their presence and their announcement about his coming to be a moment of peace for all, making good things happen in their lives. The wishing of peace became the means whereby good things would happen.

Pitbull and Ke$ha’s song “Timber” is not as profound as Jesus’ intent in the Gospel, but they are singing about a similar feeling. In their situation, the party that the people are attending will be the means of making good things happen, and the good thing about that moment was that it was happening: “It’s going down,” they sing. Good things are beginning to happen. Let’s enjoy the moment.

It is a glorious fact that many people in our world can be very positive about life, no matter what the circumstances. They can look at the kind of lives they have, and realize that even if things are not as wonderful as they might want them or as they might plan, their lives are still something very positive. For a Christian, the peace of Jesus can be the stimulus to make everything positive. The feeling is expressed in a reading called “Today.”

TODAY
Outside my window, a new day I see,
And only I can determine
What kind of day it will be.
It can be busy and sunny, laughing and gay,
Or boring and cold, unhappy and gray.
My own state of mind is the determining key,
For I am only the person I let myself be.
I can be thoughtful and do all I can to help,
Or be selfish and think just of myself,
I can enjoy what I do and make it seem fun,
Or gripe and complain and make it hard on someone.
I can be patient with those who may not understand,
Or belittle and hurt them as much as I can.
But I have faith in myself,
And believe what I say,
And I personally intend
To make the best of each day.

Good and gracious God, you call us through your Son to be at peace with ourselves, and to accept the things that happen to us in a positive way. Give us the grace to be positive in our approach to life. Be with us, we pray.

We can make good things happen by a positive attitude.

1. Give your own definition of “peace.”
2. How do you think Jesus would define “peace”?
3. What are the characteristics of a “peaceful situation”?
4 . Text analysis: “It’s going down.” What is your interpretation of the statement?
5. The song is about dancing at a party. What is the value of “dancing”?
6. In your opinion, from your understanding, do you think that “dancing” has changed much over the years? Yes or no and why?
7. What makes a party “good”? What makes it “bad”?
8. Text analysis: “Let’s make a night you won’t remember.” What is the meaning of the statement?
9. Text analysis: “I’ll be the one you won’t forget.” How would you like to be remembered by your friends?
10. How can some people be so positive in their approach to life, and some people so negative?
11. What can you do to help someone who is very negative about life?
12. What are some of the negative experiences in life that can hurt a person, and what can be done to make them more positive?
13. What part of the reading “Today” is most striking and why?
14. What does the song “Timber” teach young people?