Peace

Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God. (Luke 2:14)

What is peace? Does it sound of birds chirping sweetly or of a wail of electric guitars or something else? Does is smell of sweet perfume or raw onions or something else? Does it taste hard and crunchy or soft and chewy or something else? Does it feel rough and jagged or smooth and silky or something else? Does it look like a baby sleeping or a young girl struggling with self-esteem issues talking with you or something else? Whatever it is for you today search for it, enjoy it and share it with someone else!

The questions are facetious really. The answer to the questions is yes. Peace is birds chirping, a wail of electric guitars, sweet perfume, raw onions, hard and crunchy, soft and chewy, rough and jagged, smooth and silky, a baby sleeping a young girl struggling with self-esteem issues and talking with you AND something else. Something more, something fundamentally foundational to these experiences and underpins and connects them with the definition of peace.

The month of September is dedicated to the issue of peace. The arrival of Jesus Christ as celebrated in this verse is the celebration of peace on earth. It’s interesting to note how many versions add the fact that this peace is to those who please God. The typical version and one wheeled out every Christmas time suggests that it’s merely peace on earth goodwill to all men. This disclaimer, however, noted in most other versions put a different spin on things. This is not the only spin on the direction of peace in Jesus’ journey. Whether it’s coming with sword to split families or whether it’s offering a peace that is markedly different to that offered to the world Jesus as ever offers something radically different and counter-cultural. I hope to be able to explore some of these distinctions during the month and also ground this truth in applications wherever possible.

Starting today, though, you can rejoice as a follower of Jesus Christ I the peace that comes with that. It’s something worth rejoicing about for there is no greater news given to humanity since its fall. Thank God for His peace.

For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
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