Peace — Easter’s Gift
| We are familiar with the idea of a truce. A truce is like a cease-fire; two parties agree to stop fighting each other. The goal is centered on ending the fight, not necessarily on a flourishing relationship. When the resurrected Christ found His disciples behind closed doors, distressed and afraid, He offered them peace. Shalom in Hebrew. In the Scriptures, shalom is more than the absence of conflict. It is a restoration of a lost divine presence. It is the blessing of rest that returns to the soul after its wanderings. Easter brought us God’s peace, not merely a truce with Him. For centuries, the ancient Israelite prophets spoke of peace. They warned of the loss of that blessing. They prophesied of its restoration. They drew analogies about it from Israel’s experiences within and without the land. In all those proclamations, they pointed to its lasting and ultimate fulfillment only in God’s redemptive acts. The peace which the prophets looked toward has been fulfilled in Christ. It is less of a feeling and more of a state of being. The peace which is from God flows from true belonging to Him. The peace of Christ is a key Easter blessing. It is a gift for us who, though sharing in the victory of His resurrection, still live within the brokenness of this present life. But that is partly the point. His resurrection is a down payment for us that all things will indeed be made well. Therefore, this Easter season, may you know His shalom which runs deep, finding rest in our redeemed identity in God. In Christ, we aren’t simply ‘not enemies of God’. We are His sons and daughters. May the peace of Easter fill your heart in this season. |
Donald Nwankwo Rector, The Light of Christ Church |