Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27 In John 13, Jesus sat down with his disciples for the Passover Meal. He is still sitting at the table in John 14. He is giving his disciples instructions about what was coming. How to handle those things, he then gives them what we call John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” As we examine the Biblical view of peace, I would note that peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is the profound awareness that God is sovereign. He rules and reigns. I am one of his children. He is working in my life, and even when I walk through a storm, he is with me. He is watching over me. He sees my life. He sees every life. He can work his will in me and through me, and in everyone else, in a manner that allows us to see him at work. That awareness gives me the serenity of the soul. Now I enjoy the absence of conflict. Sometimes I even go out of my way to avoid it. But sadly, it is a fact of life. It is life on life’s terms. Sometimes I find myself in the middle of a conflict. In those times, I try to lean into his peace and his presence. I have learned to ask myself, “What is the invitation of Jesus in this moment?” What would he do, and say, and act? Then I pray God give me the courage to do the right thing in the right way, so that I can be an agent of peace and healing. In Jesus name, amen.