My usual sign-off at the end of email messages is “Peace.”  In some ways I’m guessing this is a hangover from my “Jesus freak” hippy days in the 70’s – you know, “peace, love, dove, and Bobby Sherman!”  At the same time I am conscious of what a shortage of peace there is in the world.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a believer in the “just war” hypothesis: as the writer of Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for war and a time for peace.  However, it is also true that we live in the Age of Anxiety – and there is no greater killer of peace than anxiety.

There are three aspects of peace I want to touch on briefly for your meditation this week.  First, from the gospel (“good news”) of John the Apostle – “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (14:27).  Jesus promised to give us who follow him a peace different than that which we can get from the world; but what does this mean?  A clue comes from a nearby verse:  “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace [there’s that word we’re looking for].  In the world you have tribulation [that doesn’t sound like peace!], but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  Taken together we see that followers of Christ are promised a peace that is not dependent on context – rather it is supplied from above, from the power of the Holy Spirit.  And because of that we don’t have to be troubled in heart, or feel fear, no matter the circumstances.

Second, there is a wealth of meaning in understanding more deeply the Hebrew word for peace – shalom.  Again beginning from the verse in John 14:27, the version of the Bible called The Message gives us our first glimpse of the deeper meaning of peace:  “I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace.”   See, the Hebrew understanding of peace includes wellness, wholeness, contentment, a lack of contention – even financial wellbeing!  This peace that we are promised is not some passive absence of drama in our lives; no, it is something tangible, something you can sink your teeth into – this is the peace God wants us to have.

But this solid, steady peace doesn’t come naturally or easily.  It is first a work of the heavenly Trio – that is where this enduring, abiding peace comes from – so…

• We have to ask for it!  Like so many other spiritual blessings, “[we] have not because [we] ask not” (James 4:2)!  
• And then we have to trust that the Father who wants good things for His children will indeed provide that shalom. 
• And then two more tools to accessing this heavenly peace:  “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts…And always be thankful.” (Colossians 3:15).  So sure, we want this peace to be the predominant, in charge state of being – but how?  And if I could feel peaceful most of the time, why of course, I’d be thankful!  But that’s the reverse order; the third tool for having this heavenly peace is…
• Be thankful.  Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is in fact one of the most powerful ways to move from anxiety to peace – so start by being grateful, even before the circumstances change, and you’ll move toward peace.  And finally,…
• The Amplified version elaborates very helpfully on the word rule:  And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds... And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].  If we allow the peace of Christ to be the decision-maker in our lives we will live much more of the time in a state of peace.  When facing a decision, if one option moves me away from the peace of Christ, then that’s not the option I want; if when I consider another option I am more filled with the peace of Christ – then that’s the one I’m going for.  And so the presence of the peace of Christ “umpires” my decision-making, my life – and that peace will indeed be more enduring.

So, shalom y’all!