Here’s an interesting fact: the Russian word ‘mir’ - the name of their space station - can mean WORLD or PEACE. Putin’s first name is Vladimir, coming from ‘vladet’ to possess and ‘mir’ the world/peace. I suspect Putin thinks Vladimir means the one who owns the world - what a shame we cannot reliably translate it as the one who owns the peace!
Many churches have the tradition of “passing the peace”; but not Congregational churches. Thus, when we occasionally include it, it seems to mean a lot. But what is the peace we are offering?
Famous words at this time of year refer to Jesus as: Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NRSV) But what IS peace?
The Cambridge online dictionary offers two definitions and two phrases. The first meaning is obvious and outward: lack of war, people living in harmony. The second meaning is internal: a mind without problems. “At peace” is “a gentle way of saying that someone is dead”; whilst to be “at peace with the world” is to feel content with your life.
All these meanings offer a challenge to Christians over and above the secular definitions. What, other than praying, can we do about world peace? I remember my sons, when young, asking me what caused war. I replied that one country believed another had something it wanted, usually land or resources, but that at the root of all war is the human inclination to be selfish and inconsiderate. I felt I had covered a tricky subject well enough for the time being, so I said: “Go and get yourselves a biscuit”. Both boys got stuck in the kitchen doorway, unwilling to allow the other to enter first. “That’s how wars start,” I commented. So perhaps by our daily living and putting others’ needs before our own, we are doing something towards world peace.
A mind free from problems, in our modern world, seems impossible. Pressure of work, ill health, church duties, trying to have a healthy lifestyle - all seem to militate against our having problem-free minds. Is prayer the answer? Of course it is, but sometimes it seems that fitting prayer into our day is an impossibility.
How Christians cope with death is supposed to mark us out as different. We cry only because we are going to miss the deceased person, not because we have any doubts about where they are now. But in our increasingly secular world, can we offer that reassurance to others? Does R.I.P mean anything to our neighbours?
“At peace with the world” links to having an untroubled mind. Being content because the Prince of peace rules our lives is easy to say but less easy to bring about. Paul reminds us: “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 NRSV)
Finally, I asked various friends for an acrostic on peace. Here is my favourite:
Prayer Eventually Answered: Calm Ensues