55 Years Ago

It was the autumn of 1967, and we’d just come off the Summer of Love. My buddy Marc and I had searched for a rumored “Love-in” somewhere in L.A.’s Griffith Park, but never found it. I was enamored with the peace symbol, with the phrase “make love, not war,” with the placing of flowers in soldiers’ rifles (preferably by pretty girls with daisy chains in their hair). I wasn’t sure how to get to this mystical place called Peace, but I desperately wanted to be there. I sensed that the hippie movement hadn’t found it, that they were only chanting about it. Our president certainly didn’t know the way, but neither did Ho Chi Minh. Still, the Peace Movement was something. And something was better than nothing, right?

When I heard about the peace marches in Washington, DC, Europe and the UK, I wanted to ride that wave, instead of floating along in the brackish backwater of my little suburban high school. But I never did.

Yet it didn’t matter. Because peace, real peace, I eventually found out, wasn’t born in the Summer of Love or in the fall protests of 1967. Real peace was born long before that…

In a town called Bethlehem.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. So do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

~John 14:27

About mitchteemley

Writer, Filmmaker, Humorist, Thinker-about-stuffer
This entry was posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Memoir, Quips and Quotes and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

20 Responses to 55 Years Ago

  1. rwfrohlich says:

    Amen and hallelujah!

    Liked by 2 people

  2. Absolutely. Thanks, Mitch.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. revruss1220 says:

    Bingo! It is the same peace we so desperately need today.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Reaseaorg says:

    Finding peace in the bible is amazing 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Amen, Mitch. There is only one source of peace. Happy Thanksgiving. God bless!

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Badfinger (Max) says:

    I was born in January of that year so a little too young to join in…but my heart was there.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Victoria says:

    Beautiful, Mitch! Thank you for sharing…and I hope you’re having a terrific day. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  8. pastorpete51 says:

    Amen Mitch and not even all the king’s horses and all the king’s men could stop that peace which God sent!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. #hood says:

    what can you remember of year 61

    john 39:52 says thou shall fall unto the mountains

    praise the lord your beautiful made

    Like

  10. How right you are, Mitch. Beautiful.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Jennie says:

    The popular peace symbol was actually an anti-war symbol in the late 50’s. I will never wear it, because peace is what you are for, not what you’re against.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. #hood says:

    how was life in the autumn of 61

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Pingback: 55 Years Ago | Restored Ministries Blog

  14. Pingback: Just Mitch | Mitch Teemley

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