Reflection
The world envisions peace as the absence of war. Jesus’ vision of shalom is far more embracing than that-. The shalom of Jesus reaches into the very nature of God’s bond with creation, with our human nature and the nature of the universe. It is 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. It is a shalom interconnected with love. It is the peace experienced by those who live caring, just and courageous liveswith 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
“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
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
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
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