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This old world is screaming for peace. I think it’s obvious to say that. If we simply look at the amount of conflict in the world: there are presently 51 armed conflicts going on today. That’s outright wars down to things like tribal and drug cartel skirmishes. If we counted conflicts between neighbours, in work places, or within families, we’re probably talking in the billions. We could even get into that nebulous realm of this elusive thing of inner peace - “I just don’t feel at peace within myself”. This old world is screaming for peace.
But…what is peace? Have you ever sat down to ponder what peace actually is? Good luck coming up with a definition for it. Every culture seems to have its own definition. Some cultures will say peace is when everything is in its place. When somebody steps outside their rightful personal bounds and impinges upon someone else’s personal space, there is no longer peace. Things are out of place. When I want what is not rightfully mine. Things are out of place. If I follow through and act on that inordinate want. Things get really out of place. Some Eastern cultures like to define peace as the lack of balance. When the work/life balance gets out of whack it leads to a diminished sense of peace. When there’s too much pollution in the air, nature gets out of balance and Mother Nature is quite indiscriminate and brutal in how she strikes back.
In our culture we tend to look at peace like the ancient Greeks and Romans did, as a lack of conflict. To me, I don’t think that the lack of conflict is a good definition of peace. I think conflict in itself is only one among many of symptoms that peace is lacking. Moreover, constructive conflict can lead to peace. But, to humour our culture’s understanding of peace, maybe we can get a definition of peace by looking at what causes conflict and once determining that, say that peace is the opposite of it. If we look at the causes of war throughout the world, well…in my humble opinion, at the root of war we will always find a handful of greedy, power lusty individuals who have charisma such that to get more of what they want they can delude the masses with lies to the extent that the masses will murder en masse for them. Looking more at the world of conflict in interpersonal relationships, well, I kind of like that definition for peace that involves everything being in its place. Interpersonal conflict happens when people step out of their rightful place to impose upon others without permission.
Well, blah, blah, blah, are you still awake. We can beat around the bush and run in circles all day and not come up with a good definition for peace. Maybe we should just look at the Bible. What did Jesus mean by saying “peace” when he appeared out of nowhere to his disciples who were cowering in fear behind locked doors afraid of what both the Jewish and Roman authorities might do to them due to their association with that Jesus of Nazareth, that revolutionist crucified dead whose body had gone missing presumed taken by his followers so that they could say he was the son of God and he had been raised from the dead to ascend to heaven to become fully a god; the sort of thing the Romans pretended to happen to their emperors.
Being a Jew steeped in the Old Testament, Jesus likely had the Hebrew word Shalom in mind. Shalom arises as God’s blessing upon God’s people when we live according to the Ten Commandments. Shalom involves what we have in rewarding, fulfilling, respectful, honest, love filled interpersonal relationships. It involves the abundant prosperity that is found when everyone has enough. It involves balance and rest built into that work/life thing (Sabbath). There is gratitude and praise of the God who has abundantly provided.
Shalom flows from living according to the Ten Commandments. It arises as God’s blessing when we worship and serve the one true God and don’t try to project our images of what a god ought to be onto God. Shalom arises when we honour the parents who gave us life and raised us, when we respect family ties. Shalom arises when we don’t murder, steal, lie, and cheat on our spouses, but rather promote and protect personal trust of one another. Shalom is what occurs when we are satisfied with what God has given us and don’t lust for our neighbour’s stuff, especially our neighbour’s spouse. Peace therefore is Shalom in each home, neighbourhood, community, province, nation, to the extent of being global. Shalom leads to justice in legal systems, equity in economics, and more than just a basic respect for individual human rights.
In Shalom relationship to God is upheld. Relationship within family is upheld. Relationship in community is upheld, particularly with one’s immediate neighbours. Simply put, Shalom is all about relationship and therefore, whatever we are going to call “Peace” must also be about relationship, our relationships with God and one another. Peace exists among us.
Surprisingly, the Bible has very little to say specifically about inner peace. To my knowledge, there is no mention in the Bible of “Inner Shalom” outside of Psalm 131 which says “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child together with its mother who is no longer demanding what has been denied him.” Any other places that kind of refer to inner peace seems to indicate that inner peace is found when we let go of wanting that which we cannot have. Looking back to what’s been said already, if we were to infer something about inner peace from our talk of Shalom, it would be that there is a sense of well-being, joy, and contentment that arises when one follows the way of the Ten Commandments, respecting the boundaries they establish in our relationship to God, family, and neighbour. Maintaining rightly ordered relationships leads to inner peace. There can be no inner peace apart from proper maintenance of our relationships and reconciling relationships when they get broken.
So, that’s sort of the Old Testament take on Peace/Shalom. Let’s go post-resurrection Jesus here for a minute. When Jesus appeared to his disciples that night, he didn’t show up and say to them, “Peace be with you” as if it was some sort of greeting. He wasn’t saying “Hello” with some sort of Hippie-sounding greeting – “Yo, peace man”. The best I can explain it is that Jesus was speaking a creating word upon the community of those who follow him. He was creating their fellowship, creating their relationship to be the place on earth where peace/Shalom is. Their fellowship was to be the place on earth where the ministry of the healing of our broken relationship with God and one another is found. It is to be the place on earth where God’s Presence is found.
I think the most accurate translation of what Jesus says to his disciples would be “Peace among you”. By speaking these words he was do the work of creati andng just like when on the first day of creation God said “Let there be light”. Jesus spoke the word created Shalom/Peace among them, within their relationships, so that it can be found on earth. He then again says “Peace among you” and speaks his ministry of reconciliation into them. Then, he breathed the Holy Spirit, God’s presence into them, in such a way that what they forgive, God forgives and what they don’t forgive, God doesn’t either. The implications of forgiving or not forgiving are implied. Shalom/Peace will rest in and be maintained in their midst through forgiveness – but not forgiving, which results in bearing a grudge, will take their Shalom away. Thus, it’s best to do the work of forgiveness.
If I were to put it all together, Shalom/Peace will be in existence present here in this sin-diseased world when the followers of Jesus do the work of forgiveness amongst ourselves, in our families, in our neighbourhoods, and when we lead the world to do the work of forgiveness as well as. That is what Jesus has sent us into the world to do.
In this Sin-diseased world there is an integral relationship between Shalom/Peace and the work of forgiveness. Shalom/Peace can and will be found on planet earth, indeed the presence and workings of God can and will be found on planet earth, where and when the followers of Jesus do the work of forgiveness. If we don’t do this work, Shalom/Peace will prove elusive.
Just a small example. The Right Reverend Desmond Tutu now deceased was an Anglican Bishop in South Africa at the end of Apartheid. He used to get up every morning around three o’clock to pray for peace in South Africa. As Apartheid ended, he was integral in developing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which provided a vehicle to help victims of human rights crimes in South Africa confront and forgive those who sinned against them. It’s fairly indisputable that Desmond Tutu was single-handedly responsible for averting mass-bloodshed in South Africa when Apartheid ended. The followers of Jesus led the way to a taste of peace in South Africa by prayerfully and actively focusing on the work of forgiveness.
Looking at our lives; how would our lives, communities, nations be different if we, the followers of Jesus, earnestly focused on the work of forgiveness. How would it change our relationships with our First Nations neighbours, with individuals oppressed by addictions, in hurting marriages, in the area of Mental Health? I believe there is a profound lack of Shalom in our communities that could be remedied if we the followers of Jesus in our own personal lives, in our families, in our church fellowship, in our neighbourhoods, at our jobs, in our communities, and on up focused on the work of forgiveness. Amen. (I guess I have necessitated a follow-up sermon on what forgiveness is.)
