I would like to share with you something that I read while studying and researching the word ‘peace’ (Hebrew: ‘shalom’, Greek: ‘eirene’).
“Shalom really means everything that makes for a man’s
highest good, all that makes life life indeed. In English peace has come to
have something of a negative meaning. It is apt to mean the absence of war and
the absence of trouble. For instance, if in a campaign hostilities actually
came to an end and there was no more fighting we would be likely to say that
there was peace; but quite certainly the Hebrew would not call a situation
where there was a blasted earth, and where people still regarded each other
with a kind of terrified suspicion, peace. …The greeting salaam does not simply
express the negative wish that a man’s life may be free from trouble; it
expresses the positive hope and prayer that he may enjoy all good gifts and
blessings from the hand of God. In thinking of the meaning of peace, both in
the Old and New Testament, it is essential to bear in mind the positive meaning
of the word.” (William Barclay, Flesh and Spirit, 1962)
Can you understand why love comes before peace in most every
list of qualities a Christian is to have?
We need to have a heart that learns to truly love – undefeatable
goodwill and benevolence that seeks only good for the other – in order to
pursue peace which is a sincere wish that the other person will blessed with
‘everything that make’s for man’s highest good.’
All too often we are content with a peace that is only
visible. We think, ‘there are no negative interactions, no outward upset, so we
are at peace, right?’ Yet our hearts are disappointed, discouraged, angry,
frustrated, irritated, or fuming. Our hearts are so darkened that the very idea
of hoping that our fellow man has everything that makes for their highest good
is something we may sneer and scoff at. God wants us to pursue true peace, and it
begins in the heart.
Consider your heart this week. Take note of any upset that
you keep bottled up under the guise of peace. Is your heart truly at peace with
your family, friends, brethren, and neighbours? Can you sincerely hope for them
everything that makes for their highest good?
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