In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is shalom, meaning completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace to bring shalom, the verb, is to make complete, whole, or restore. The Oxford English Dictionary defines peace as quiet, tranquility, mental calm, serenity, and freedom from war. “Let there be peace of earth, and let it begin with me.” A rule of peace, where everything is whole, right, restored. What next? Where do you go from there? “Let there be peace of earth, and let it begin with me.” This one song-its soaring melody and yet actionable message-shaped my view of God’s kingdom. The rambunctious sheep and animals had stomped by, the angels had wreaked their own version of precious havoc, the shepherds and kings had adored and worshipped the baby Jesus. “Let there be peace of earth, and let it begin with me.” This was the perennial grand finale of the Christmas pageant at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, when I was a kid.
Spoiler alert: it’s not by avoiding conflict or working towards consensus. Today we’ll be focusing on the peace of God as fuel for our lives-and we’ll explore how we can draw upon God’s peace for our own lives and communities.
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