Think of this one word for a minute: Peace.
What comes to mind when you do?
Now, what if I put this in front of it: God’s Peace. Does that change the meaning at all?
What does peace mean to you? You might say it is the absence of hostility. Maybe you think of it in terms of a country not having any war with another country. When we talk about peace in this way (what it is not) we are referencing what is known as negative peace. Negative peace defines the term as a state achieved by not having bad things.
No war. No conflict. No hostility.
What if you had a fight with your friend or spouse? There may be no physical conflict, but rather arguments and bad feelings. The two of your are not speaking to each other. Are you at peace?
Negative pace may be good in that there is no war or other hostility but it may not bring us much happiness.
The Roman’s had an interesting concept of peace. The Roman emperor Trajan had a series of coins minted that sowed Pax – the goddess of Peace – standing in victory over the conquered Dacians. The Dacians were located in what is now Romania. This was a statement by the emperor that peace came through conquest. Can you achieve peace by pacification? If you conquer someone else there is no more war, but can this really be called peace?
There is something called the Global Peace Index (GPI). It was founded by an Australian entrepreneur named Steve Killelea and is produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace. They use 23 indicators to measure a country’s negative peace relative to each other. They look at the level of violence within and without a country. They examine the level of harmony or discord within a nation. They look at a country’s militarization. According to the GPI here are the top 10 most peaceful countries:
Switzerland
– Japan
– Slovenia
– Portugal
– Singapore
– Austria
– New Zealand
– Ireland
– Denmark
– Iceland
The GPI is careful to say they are measuring negative peace. So what is positive peace? According to the World Health Organization, peace is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Positive peace is all about harmony and well-being. Positive peace includes respect, equality, and justice. Positive peace creates an environment for all people to thrive.
You can make peace. You can keep the peace. You can breach peace. And you can be at peace. These are all different things, aren’t they?
Did Jesus come to give us peace?
John 14:25-47
25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
It seems like peace is something bestowed upon the disciples when Jesus left them. Does having peace within you mean that you are free of troubles? I don’t think so. Those men continued to have troubles all of their lives. Peace of mind can allow you to better handle those things. A relaxed and calm outlook can help you when those crazy things come to pass.
The Christmas Carol “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” was created by the reverend Edmund Sears in response to his longing for peace on earth. Here are the first and last stanzas of that hymn:
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men
From heaven’s all-gracious King” –
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
For lo! the days are hastening on
By prophet bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years
Comes round the age of gold;
When Peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.
Jesus I think knew a lot about both negative and positive peace. Here is a verse where he calmed the storm in Mark’s gospel:
Mark 4:39
39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.
This is negative peace, isn’t it? He brought about the absence of turbulent water. Why didn’t Jesus also bring about the absence of hostility among the people who hated him? Why not go into the temple and say “Peace! Be still!” to them?
I think Jesus came to teach us all about positive peace. He came to show us how to have respect, calm, and love for others. He knew that if everyone was able to achieve this, the negative peace takes care of itself.
What would it mean for you to have peace in your life?
God Bless