Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. John 14:27
Our Lenten journey this year is accompanied by the sounds, images and stories of war. We are living with the frightening situation in the Middle East and it is impacting our sense of confidence and ability to plan.
It is always hard to understand how human life can seem to have such little value in comparison to the agenda of war itself. There are conflicts being played out repeatedly in so many situations around the world.
As the disciples travelled to Jerusalem with Jesus their anxiety was increasing and obvious. They wondered about what might or might not happen and discussed together what they could do. Jesus was aware of their feeling and responded with the promise of a peace ‘not as the world gives’.
This is a rich promise beyond the end of hostility, and has an immediacy about it, as well as an existential element to it. The word for peace in the Hebrew scriptures is ‘shalom’ and when translated into Greek the word ‘eirēnē’ was used and carried on into the New Testament.
One definition of ‘eirēnē’ is ‘human flourishing’. Peace – providing the environment for people to be well, secure, nourished and with the resources they need. Such flourishing is possible when people have security, agency and freedom. This is the promise of Jesus:
I leave you to flourish; all you need to live full lives I give to you. This is not the promise of the world. It is much more than that. Be secure in me, rest in me. Find fullness of life in me.
Rev John Gilmore, President NCCA