At different times, different passages of scripture resonate more than others. Right now, my mind continues to go to all the places the Bible talks about making peace. In Isaiah 9.6, we read the familiar “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” prophecy. Specifically, I am struck by the title “Prince of Peace.” We don’t venerate Ares the Greek god of war or Mars the Roman god of war. Our Lord is the Prince of Peace.
In John 14.27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you.” This could be referencing inner peace. Jesus gives his followers peace so they can feel calm through the tumult of life’s ups and downs. But, if we limit the peace Jesus offers to inner peace, we limit its impact on the world, and Jesus came to proclaim the kingdom of heaven. This kingdom, although it is not of this world, maintains a direct impact on the world. This is why Jesus chose the scroll of Isaiah (61.1-2) to read in Luke 4.18-19, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
If the peace Jesus offers means something, it must impact people’s lives, and it should go beyond an invisible inner peace. The peace Jesus proclaims is what we can be. It’s about human potential. Sin is human potential ruined. Right now, as we reflect on another Middle Eastern war, we need the Jesus’ peace.
As Christ-followers, we need to be peacemakers. On Sunday, I asked about how we can do this. People offered helpful suggestions: Listen. Empathize. Love. And these are just the start. As praying people, we can pray for peace. We can pray for wisdom for our leaders. We can pray for our soldiers and sailors, and we can pray for the safety of Iranians and everyone else caught in violence and war. There’s a story about a school in Iran exploding. We can pray for God’s comfort for the families who are mourning the senseless death of their children.
There’s probably more we can do. What are your ideas? How can we be peacemakers? Right now, the world desperately needs people of faith to represent the God who, among many names, is the Prince of Peace.