Let Peace Prevail

We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.

Thomas Merton

Today we participated in a devotion that focused on the peace pole found in the center of campus at UBILA.  The pole has “May Peace Prevail on All the Earth” on four sides in four languages representing the four corners of the world.  There are over 10,000 peace poles throughout the world including a peace pole at Har Megiddo in Israel a site known for wars throughout biblical times because of its strategic location on trade and transportation routes in the area.  Tel Megiddo is an excavation site with about 26 layers of communities buried on top of each other and where the term Armageddon is derived based on the memories and stories of the wars that took place at the site.

 We were asked to think about what peace means in our lives and how it is lived out by hearing scripture passages from James and Galatians on peace and a quote from Thomas Merton on Peace.

 

James 3

13 Are any of you wise and understanding? Show that your actions are good with a humble lifestyle that comes from wisdom. 14 However, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, then stop bragging and living in ways that deny the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above. Instead, it is from the earth, natural and demonic. 16 Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and everything that is evil. 17 What of the wisdom from above? First, it is pure, and then peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good actions, fair, and genuine. 18 Those who make peace sow the seeds of justice by their peaceful acts.

Galatians 5

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against things like this. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified self with its passions and its desires.   25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit. 26 Let’s not become arrogant, make each other angry, or be jealous of each other.