In today’s gospel Jesus offers his disciples the gift of peace:
“Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you.”
We always need this gift of peace. We can sometimes lull ourselves into a sense of false security, accepting a surface status quo as peace, ignoring the conflicts that lie beneath it. In reality, however much we disguise it, there is always some situation in our personal lives or in our societies that needs the healing touch of peace.
Having said that there also seems to be times when our need for peace is more obvious and urgent. There are times when those conflicts and disagreements that have simmered under the surface breakout bringing violence and destruction in their wake. We are living in such a time now.
There are so many places today facing war and conflict. We can no longer ignore the huge costs of these conflicts to ordinary people. The destruction they bring to ordinary lives and communities is truly horrific.
This gives Jesus’ offer of peace a new and deeper meaning. When our own fragile attempts at peace making feel our only hope is to trust in the peace he offers. His peace is universal; it is offered without judgement or partisanship. If we are to have any hope of healing our war-torn world, we each have to open our hearts to accept the peace he offers. We have to it to shape our life, and share it with others in ways that change and rebuild broken relationships.
Where is Christ challenging you to accept and share his piece this Eastertide?