Peace is the end goal of the trajectory of hope. Peace, and the restoration it involves, is connected to the Messiah, the Kingdom of God, and the age to come. The oldest blessing in the Bible, the priestly blessing from Numbers 6.24-26, concludes with receiving the peace of God: вЂњThe LORD bless you and keep you the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.вЂќ Peace, or shalom, is the state of right relationship with people and with God, a state of blessing. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towersвЂќ (Psalm 122.6-7).ДЄnd yet peace means so much more than the absence of war. In the words of Psalm 122: вЂњPray for the peace of Jerusalem: may they prosper who love you.

Laws or commandments in Deuteronomy give guidelines for peace. вЂњDo you come in peace?вЂќ is a frequent question in the Old Testament narratives. Peace, in the most basic sense, is the absence of war. In the New Testament, the Greek word for peace is eirene, meaning harmony, order, peace welfare, health, wholeness. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for peace is shalom, meaning completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace to bring shalom, the verb, is to make complete, whole, or restore. The Oxford English Dictionary defines peace as quiet, tranquility, mental calm, serenity, and freedom from war. вЂњLet there be peace of earth, and let it begin with me.вЂќ A rule of peace, where everything is whole, right, restored. What next? Where do you go from there? вЂњLet there be peace of earth, and let it begin with me.вЂќ This one song-its soaring melody and yet actionable message-shaped my view of GodвЂ™s kingdom. The rambunctious sheep and animals had stomped by, the angels had wreaked their own version of precious havoc, the shepherds and kings had adored and worshipped the baby Jesus. вЂњLet there be peace of earth, and let it begin with me.вЂќ This was the perennial grand finale of the Christmas pageant at First Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, when I was a kid. Spoiler alert: itвЂ™s not by avoiding conflict or working towards consensus. Today weвЂ™ll be focusing on the peace of God as fuel for our lives-and weвЂ™ll explore how we can draw upon GodвЂ™s peace for our own lives and communities.

Kings hollow god of war