When we think of peace, we often think of the absence of conflict. Whether it is in the Middle East or in our living room, most people want things to be peaceful — free of drama, violence, profanity, and strife. The only way the world knows how to bring peace is to remove conflict. The truth is that’s impossible because there’s always conflict somewhere, even in our hearts. Humanity, because of our sin nature, is never fully at peace or absent from conflict. The other reality is removing conflict is not how Jesus brings peace. He can bring peace right in the middle of conflict. This is why men like Peter or Paul could be at peace in a nasty jail cell; why Steven could see the Lord in a place of peace while being stoned to death; why martyrs could sing and praise God while being burned at the stake or tortured. Peace can be found when we rest in Him and find our identity in Him. This is why Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit. He guides us into places of rest and peace, where we are fully trusting in the power of Christ to sustain us, protect us, and fill us. The Holy Spirit guides us and shows us the beauty of a life at peace in Christ. Life is like a big woven tapestry. When seen from the back, it’s a tangled chaos. What the Holy Spirit does is to bring us to the front of the tapestry and show us the beauty and order of the finished design. So in the middle of what we perceive as chaos, or conflict, or craziness, we have a different vision when we look through the eyes of Christ. It causes us to change our perception, and thus, our actions. Mother Theresa put it like this — Jesus is saying, “You don’t need to change to believe in my love, it is the belief in my love that will change you.” I want to be a man who can be at peace in the midst of conflict, and who can share that peace with those around me.
