According to Wikipedia... Peace can be a state of harmony or the absence of hostility. "Peace" can also be a non-violent way of life."Peace" is used to describe the cessation of violent conflict. Peace can mean a state of quiet or tranquility — an absence of disturbance or agitation. Peace can also describe a relationship between any people characterized by respect, justice, andgoodwill. Peace can describe calm, serenity, and silence. This latter understanding of peace can also pertain to an individual's sense of himself or herself, as to be "at peace" with one's own mind.According to the magnet we have on our fridge... Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the mist of those things and still be calm in your heart.
So that brings me to how I define peace...quite strangely, it is pretty similar to the quote on the magnet... a few weeks ago at church Pastor Richard Dahlstrom read from John 14:27-30, which states...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.
You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you ' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.
When I saw this post, it immediately made me think of the book I'm currently reading, "As We Forgive" by Catherine Claire Larson. First, it's a GREAT book (if you haven't read it I highly recommend it), although extremely heartbreaking, as it's about the Rwandan genocide and how the Tutsi's and Hutu's are forgiving each other and living side by side. Basically, I have tears rolling down my cheeks the entire time I'm reading. I know Richard has talked about this book at church a few times too. Anyway, there's a chapter that talks about peace and your post instantly made me think about it. I'm including a couple paragraphs from that chapter below (sorry if this is so long!):
ReplyDelete"The peace symbol is everywhere in our world, from protest signs to bumper stickers. But for most of us, peace simply means the absence of war, conflict, or striving. Ancient conceptions of the term, however, went much further.
In ancient Israel, for example, peace, or shalom, was not defined by absence. Rather, it meant the sum total of human flourishing: socially, emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Shalom signified wholeness, rightness, and ultimate harmony.
When someone committed a crime, the focus of justice wasn't simply on the broken law and restoring order, but rather on broken shalom and restoring peace. Restoring peace took many forms. First and foremost, justice concerned itself with caring for the victim. If a criminal had stolen a goat it meant restoring the goat...But true shalom also meant that punishing the offender had an ultimate goal: restoration of peace for the victim, restoration of the peace of the community, and finally, restoration of peace for the offender."
Anyway, thanks for your inspiring words - I enjoy reading your posts. :)