The opposite of peace is anxiety. Peace is having a sense of wholeness, while anxiety is being broken, torn into pieces. Paul wrote to the Philippians while in prison, awaiting his execution and told them to “rejoice in the Lord always”… “And the God of peace will be with you”. How could someone in prison, knowing that they are going to be killed for what he believes, be so full of inner peace? It is because Paul knew that he had a “security system”, a force greater than anything on Earth making sure he would be okay.
When we stop thinking that we need something else (more money, a companion, a new job) in order to be complete and just know that having Christ in our corner is enough, we too can have peaceful lives. Society tells us to relax, meditate and clear our heads to find peace. The Gospel tells us to think about whatever is true, just and honorable. Not only to think about these things, but put them into practice. When we think about and act on such things, Paul tells the Philippians, “the God of peace will be with you.”
Jesus often spoke of peace, but He knew that the world we live in would not be peaceful. By embracing His teachings and asking for the power of the Holy Spirit we can begin to find purpose, significance and joy which brings us the peace that passes understanding. Beauty queens will be saying they want world peace for years to come, and they will never succeed at achieving it. This is because as St. Augustine noted “only the love of the immutable can bring tranquility…God alone is a place of peace that cannot be destroyed.” God has given you the gift of his love, which cannot be torn into pieces and can bring peace to our lives.
