Reflection
Peace is thought of as the absence of conflict. Jesus’ vision of peace or peace is far more embracing than that. In Hebrew there are no one-word translations; rather, every word has shades and depths of meaning. The shalom or peace of Jesus reaches into the very nature of God’s bond with creation, with our human nature and the nature of the universe. Jesus gives a vision of a reconciled world, a world of order where there is justice, harmony, and love . This is the shalom to which we are called. Shalom and love are interconnected. It is the peace experienced by those who live caring, just and courageous lives in the human community.
Prayer
May my life offer shalom to others.
Action
Try to meet conflict with calm and a desire to create peace.
Suggested Reading
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Romans 12:18
“Shalom I leave with you, my shalom I give to you, Not as the
world gives do I give it to you.”
John 14:27
Every human being desires communion and peace. Everyone needs peaceful co-existence. But this can grow only when we also build inner peace in our heart.
Pope Francis
When you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart.
Francis of Assisi
Be peace, don’t just talk about it.
Thich Nhat Hanh
I vow to cultivate peace by refraining from acts of violence (both verbal and physical), doing whatever I can to protect others from violence, and working with others to end violence in society as a whole.
Rami M. Shapiro
Serving peace is not easy. Often it is harder to seek dialogue with someone
close at hand — a spouse, relative, co-worker, employer, or neighbor — than with a distant enemy seen only on television screens.
Jim Forest
If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliché that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that’s his problem. Love and peace are eternal.
John Lennon
Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be achieved by understanding.
Albert Einstein
You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
Mahatma Gandhi
Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.
Gautama Buddha