PEACE (Anne Englert)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” – Jesus  (John 14:27)
“Pursue peace with everyone.”  (Hebrews 12:14)
 
God’s peace is something we are invited to receive and experience, and it is also something we are called to pursue and “make.”  

What does the word peace mean to you?  The biblical concept of peace encompasses so much more than the absence of conflict or hostility.  “Shalom” in Hebrew, and “Eirene” in Greek, these words usually translated as peace include the meanings wholeness, restoration, wellbeing, harmony, and safety.  A similar rich image of peace is expressed by “Salaam” in Arabic and “Namaste” in Sanskrit.  The Bible is full of references to peace (more than 250 – go to biblegateway.com and type PEACE in the search bar to find any of them!).

How do we receive God’s peace?  It could be as simple as asking God for this gift of the Spirit and waiting quietly.  Sometimes I close my eyes, take deep breaths, and let them out slowly while relaxing my muscles, visualizing breathing in divine peace.  Other times, if I am agitated and find it hard to focus, it helps to move my body in a fast walk or physically vigorous exercise, then afterward I experience a sense of peace.  Or peace comes after I move pen on paper in a catharsis of feelings, questions, and thoughts.  For many of us, music can be an effective channel for receiving the peace Jesus wants to give us.

This divine gift of peace is not intended to remain an inner, individual experience.  We are to pass it on, to embody God’s peace for others, to seek the wholeness and wellbeing of any whom God brings into our lives.  You may have noticed that almost every one of the letters in the New Testament (Romans through Revelation) opens with a greeting of peace to the recipients; many also include peace exhortations and benedictions.  Apparently peace is an important aspect of being a follower of Christ!  In his words, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  (Matthew 5:9)

How will you make peace or pass the peace of Christ today?

Try using the musical selection “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” linked below as a meditative prayer.  It is from the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, arranged by Sebastian Temple.

“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:16)