Peace

“Peace be with you! My peace I give to you; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled! Do not be afraid!”

Peace is the first gift of the risen Jesus. Even if you have locked the doors, locked your heart and mind, Jesus can walk through them. Jesus can walk through closed doors and hearts to give his peace. He can bring peace to impossible situations.

What is peace? In Jn 14, we have a clue. “Do not be troubled! Trust in God and trust in me! In my Father’s house there are many rooms.” (Jn 14:1-2) A room is meant for resting, refreshing, sleeping for our physical and mental well being. We move in and move out of the room. So peace could be that is what is needed for our spiritual well being. Or, shall we say, resting in God is peace.

The more you are connected to God, the more you are in peace. Peace is a state, a spiritual state more than a feeling. It is a state of rest in God. Not only dead people rest in peace, we too need to rest in peace.

Peace is being at home with God. It is the same as saying, home is where your heart is. A home is not bricks and mortar and cement, but it is about connection with persons, with your loved ones. In the same way, if your heart is with God, or if God is in your heart, then you are at peace. In Is 26:3, we read, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Peace is not the peace of the graveyard. It is about life, liveliness, activity, centredness…. Peace can exist even with my problems and troubles. Peace is not the absence of all the problems, it can co-exist with my problems even.

Jesus’ peace is not as the world gives. The world thinks that peace is the absence of war and violence. But that is only partially true. Peace is about living in the presence of God, because His presence itself is our peace. St Paul says, “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink; but it is justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom 14:7)

So peace is not self-sufficiency or self-complacency, it is dependence on God. He gives us enough peace for the day, like manna. We cannot store more than we need. We need to “collect” it day to day.

If we are at peace with God, we can proclaim peace. And the Scriptures praise the peacemakers, “Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!” (Nahum 1:15) Jesus also proclaims it, “Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called children of God.” (Mt 5:9)

Peace is not so much a destination, as it is the means. There is no way to peace. Peace is the way. God promises peace to His people, His faithful servants; He grants us peace if we do not turn to folly and worthlessness. (Ps 85:8)

Today, let us pray for peace in our hearts, in our homes and in the world. We will have peace the more and more we allow God into our lives. “Lord, grant us peace, because all that we have done has been your doing.” (Is 26:12)