Peace

Peace.

Two verses for this evening:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galations 5:22-23)

I am on an email list from a minister in Charlotte, NC -- his church is Providence UMC. Ken sends out regular Advent emails. Each week in Advent I have received a text of his sermon. Last week he told a story about his daughter. She is "politically interested and active," and brought home a bumper sticker which says, "Peace is Possible." She asked him if he would put it on the bumper of their car. I liked his answer: how about we put it inside the car.

Sometimes driving around with my boys, a reminder that "peace is possible" might be a good thing!

Is peace perhaps multidimensional? Is there peace with oneself which is based largely on peace with God? Is there, in addition, peace with others? And is there a link between the two?

Ken writes about Luke 1:79: "...to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." I like Ken's phrase, "How we walk defines who we are, as people, and determines where we are going. " How we walk defines where we are going, and God will guide our feet in the path of peace.

Promises from God -- a promise that peace is a fruit of the spirit, and that God will fill us with joy and peace as we trust in him. Peace is possible. We hear so often that peace begins with us, but perhaps our hope for peace begins and ends with God.

Image: From HermanoLeon