What is Peace?

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 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.” From John 14:23-29

As we enter the final days of Easter season, we turn toward the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. That outpouring, which we celebrate on the Feast of Pentecost, June 8th this year, is a time when we open ourselves to an ongoing power we claim as people of faith. For most of us, I imagine this is not a steady state of being. I know the Holy Spirit is always present and active, but that hardly means I am always aware of its power. The reason we want to cultivate that awareness is the promise which accompanies that gift: When we are open to the Spirit, we are open to learning.

Learning, according to these words from Jesus, includes new knowledge along with the reminder of that which we already know. So much of our worship is about re-membering, or being knit back together, recalling the promises of our baptism and God’s faithfulness to us throughout time.

All this learning is related to our ability to access the peace that Jesus also promises us. Peace is not an absence of conflict in ourselves, our communities, or the world. Peace is not hiding our heads in the sand and hoping the bad things will go away. The peace that God promises to us is much more like the text of one of my favorite hymns: #661 - They Cast Their Nets in Galilee. The relevant verse is, “The peace of God, it is no peace, but strife closed in the sod. Yet let us pray for but one thing — the marvelous peace of God.”

Evoking the sacrifice of the earliest disciples, the hymn reminds us that the journey of discipleship is not about avoiding the pain of the world but instead moving closer to God so we may be enveloped by good and nurturing sod. It does not avoid the strife but uses it to give us new growth. Our invitation is to nourish the soil, to tend the growth, and allow God’s peace (the peace which surpasses all understanding) to surround us. It is not a one-time event. The Spirit needs for us to nurture it and give it space to act in our lives so we may experience transformation.

As we enter a different rhythm in these summer months, how might you tend the peace God is offering you? Who are the people who support that space for you? What are the activities that ground you in gratitude?

To quote Mary Oliver:

“Instructions for living a life.

Pay attention.

Be Astonished.

Tell about it.”

May we have those moments of peace when we create this space.

Peace, Beth +