Peace in Conflict

Mike Hosey, An Elder

True peace is not the absence of conflict, turmoil or noise. 

Not really.

When we define peace that way, we are defining it the same way the world defines it. While such noiseless peace does exist, it is of greatly inferior quality to true spiritual peace.  In fact, true spiritual peace is best defined in the midst of conflict, turmoil, and the noise of the world.

I can remember riding the bus home from school each day as a kid in Houston, Texas.  Then, just as now, a bus ride of sweaty, active preteen and teenage boys was not quiet. It was a loud, usually obnoxious and rude, rolling example of barely contained chaos and conflict. But in the midst of that chaos, I could read a novel without looking up at the flying spitballs, or reacting to the unkind words, the dirty jokes, or the profanity. My focus was on the novel.  The story would be so good that I would be lost in it. I was at peace.

On the other hand, I can remember later in life studying for college classes in quiet rooms with beautiful and serene views, but my internal state was in such conflict that I could not focus on learning the material.  I was not at peace.

In John, Chapters 14-16, Jesus tells His followers about all kinds of trouble they are going to face.  The world is going to hate them, they are going to have tribulation, there is going to be conflict, difficulty, weeping and sorrow. He tells them that the world will rejoice while they are in a state of sorrow.

But in that passage, a number of times, He curiously also tells them that He leaves them His peace (John 14:27).  At the end of John 16, He tells them that they are going to be scattered, and that they are going to leave Him, but that He won’t be alone, because God will be with Him. He then says to them, “I have told you these things so that you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, “I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33)

A true peace is manifested when we realize that Jesus has beaten the world that is trying to beat us, and that we will overcome it just like He did, because of what He has already done.