In Peace With Each Other ...

Monday, Nov 5, 2012. How deep is the peace we have with each other in this world? When I read the morning news about the weekend, I realize how limited this peace is. In the US we are approaching the presidential election - and all parties are campaigning for victory. The words which are said about the others do not sound like peace.

Peace and the foundation of peace …

In Germany, the coalition which is in power currently had a meeting on Sunday - with an important compromize between the main parties, after weeks of quarrel between them. But when you listen to the opposition, commenting the results, that does not sound like peace. Of course, the political opposition always tries to put down the political opponents and point out their incompetence. But we cannot call the way the parties treat each other “peace”. And the media try to multiply every nasty word - that is fuel for their business.

Of course, there is competition on various levels of life. We all live from and with competition. It is a driving force of progress. We need it. But the way we carry out the competition in most cases cannot be called “peace”. I have another idea of what peace is. Most of us have …!

What is the foundation of peace? Peace means that there is a minimum of acceptance - even if we do not agree. Peace means that there is help and solidarity, even if we do not want to support everything which someone does or says.

My peace and Jesus' peace …

Peace means that our hearts are calm, that our hearts are firm, that we rest in ourselves. But how can we reach it, when we are in the middle of a competition, even in the middle of a fight? Can we have a calm heart here? How can we find peace in the middle of trouble, in the middle of problems … ?

There is the old promise of peace which Jesus gives us (John 14: 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.” He promises a deep and lasting peace, which comes from him. It has to do with the Holy Spirit, which he promises to those who follow him in faith. It is a peace which superseeds our world, which is deeper and higher than the mere facts of life around us.

I believe that Christians should start to live a life different from the quarrel and defamation which we have usually in our media, day by day. The peace which comes from Jesus can guide us to establish peace in our life. It might be hard, we are tempted to participate in the indignity which we find around us all the time. But there is another way … and it is open to us, through faith! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts