Peace is a noble aspiration at any time, in times of war or in times of harmony. When you find yourself at odds with someone, or when you’re feeling pretty good about your relationships. When you feel in harmony with God, or when you feel a discord. It is always important to pursue peace.
Peace is so much more than the absence of conflict. Maybe you can lay your head on your pillow tonight and thank God that you experienced no conflict, but that is not the same thing as experiencing peace. If a husband and wife get tired of shouting at each other and both slip into an icy indifference, that is not peace.
In Hebrew the word for “peace” is shalom, a well wishing that says it all: May you be healthy, whole, and complete. May you know where you fit in the universe, and may you find tranquillity there. Augustine said peace is “the tranquillity of order.” When you know where you fit into God’s world— that you are higher than the animals, but less than God—that is the sense of order that brings tranquillity.
Peace is so much more than the absence of conflict. Maybe you can lay your head on your pillow tonight and thank God that you experienced no conflict, but that is not the same thing as experiencing peace. If a husband and wife get tired of shouting at each other and both slip into an icy indifference, that is not peace.
In Hebrew the word for “peace” is shalom, a well wishing that says it all: May you be healthy, whole, and complete. May you know where you fit in the universe, and may you find tranquillity there. Augustine said peace is “the tranquillity of order.” When you know where you fit into God’s world— that you are higher than the animals, but less than God—that is the sense of order that brings tranquillity.
(Mel Lawrenz)
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