Rev. Tatiana Cantarella

Christian Life is a life of Peace

Isaiah 60:1-3, 11, 17-20; Ephesians 2:14-18

In the West in the 60’s and 70’s "peace” was one of the most popular words. The symbol of peace was printed in hippie t-shirts and posters. John Lennon and Janis Joplin sang about it. But as often happens – an overuse leads to misuse and devaluation. Something similar happened in the Soviet Union when I was growing up. Those of my age and older will remember the slogan: "Miru mir” ("Peace to the world") established in the Soviet press in 1951. And for many of us who have heard and seen that word "peace" everywhere its meaning and depth were gradually lost. Many have come to perceive the reality of "peace" with great skepticism, as the once Demian Bednyi (Soviet poet): "Peace for the world!" This is nonsense. There won’t be reconciliation without a fight."  But here is what’s interesting: The Origins of this Soviet slogan can be found into a Christian liturgy, which contained petitions similar to this: "About the peace for the whole world, about the wellness of the Holy Church of God and the unity of all, let us pray to the Lord." And we really need to go back to the depths of this word because it is part of what makes up the concept of "the kingdom of God."

What do most people think of when they hear the word "peace"? ... Unfortunately, most Christians today understand "peace" only as "inner peace" or "spiritual serenity". And there is some truth to that. I am 100% for spiritual struggle giving way to spiritual peace. And I believe that God wants us to have inner peace generated by our faith in God and hope that God’s desire is to lead our lives and the whole world to goodness, perfection. As someone said: "You can have feelings of peace and calm because you know in the end when sin and sickness, disease and death, war and plague, and the devil himself have done their worst, God has the last word". We love to sing about this inner peace: "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever the lot, Thou hast taught me to say "It is well, it is well with my soul" - these words were written by a Christian after his whole family drowned. During the last week of His life, Jesus warned His disciples that the times of trouble are coming but also promised them inner peace. "Peace I leave with you, my peace (shalom) I give unto you: not as the world gives, I give unto you. Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid "(John 14:25-27). And thank God for this peace that does not depend on circumstances, the inner peace that we have in God when we trust in Him.

But. When speaking about peace and the kingdom of God Jesus means something much bigger than just inner peace. Don’t you think that Jesus wanted peace between your father and your mother, between you and your parents, between siblings in the family, between friends, between colleagues and between nations? Don’t you think that Jesus wanted the poor to have enough food? Or all people have access to health care? That everyone has a roof over their head? That countries would not be in war? When Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God, did he not dream of peace between neighbors, tribes, peoples and nations? We tend to reduce the concept of "peace" to "peace we feel in the presence of God" but when we boil "peace” down to our personal peace, we turn down a huge banquet, which Jesus has prepared for all and settle down for a cup of tea in a proud solitude of our own little apartment. When the Bible talks about "peace", the first thing that should come to mind is the image of a huge banquet in the presence of God, a banquet which brings together friends...and enemies ... who now have become friends.

Peace is central to the kingdom of God but inner peace is only a small part of it. When we remember the "Seventeen moments of spring" (Russian series on a Soviet spy) we do not thing immediately of Sergei Golovanov (British Ambassador), or even Svetlana Svetlichnaya (journalist). We think of Tikhonov and Bronevoj (main characters). No offense to the minor characters but when Jesus speaks of peace and the kingdom of God, "inner peace" is a minor character. Jesus wanted us to have inner peace but he wanted much more: He dreams of a society that becomes his Kingdom in which peace reigns. And when Jesus "peace" envelops so much:

The Kingdom of God means love, justice and peace …in society … now on earth …as it is in heaven. This is what Jesus prayed for. This is what we are called to pray every day and prayed about together today: about love, justice and peace in society.

And here is what’s very important for us to understand about peace – peace is the result, not the goal. Peace comes as a result of many years of good relationships. Peace reigns in the family that lives in love. A society that is built on love and justice becomes a peaceful society. Peace therefore is not the goal. Love - is our goal. And love is hard work, it is the way of the cross but it is love that generates peace. Jimi Hendrix is believed to have said: "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." People who yearn for peace but are not willing to love will never find peace. And those who love will know peace whether they sought it or not.

Too often I witness tensions between people. Not an uncommon scenario: a couple was in a fight and now they don’t talk to each other. You ask him, for example: do you want to have peace again, you want to reconcile? "Yes, yes!" is the response to both questions. "Well, then, do the loving thing every time you have an opportunity and when she walks into the room ask for forgiveness." But to that a man replies: "But I am not sure if I want to do that yet." But without the loving actions, including forgiveness, you’ll never have peace! The kingdom of God, which Jesus brought, leads to a life of peace. A Christian life is essentially a life of a "peacemaker."

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God "(Matthew 5:7-9)

A person cannot be pure before God while at a wrong with people, if one’s faith does not spill out into his or her relations with people, then something is wrong with this faith. Christian does not only overcome his or her own suffering and troubles by trusting in God, but also lends a helping hand to those who need it. Compassion is not a feeling but a practical assistance. People in the world believe themselves to be happy if they can take care of themselves, and let others do what they want and what they can for themselves. But truly happy are those who see a person in need and do not remain indifferent, who out of obedience to God not only feel compassion and wish them well but stretch out a helping hand. Jesus taught that his followers are merciful even to their enemies. Those who do so will never be left without mercy. That's what we talked about specifically last week. But Jesus goes on ...

Blessed are the "peacemakers", i.e. those who do not only love peace and do not violate it but those who restore peace, bring peace where there is no peace. How often in this world people fail to find peace because they are trying to conquer, rule over; be superior to others, bringing division and war (even the so-called just war). Peacemakers not only live with inner peace and do not cause resistance but create peace by overcoming evil with good, by letting go of selfish ambitions, because peace is more important to them than their own pride. Our Lord Jesus Himself is the Peacemaker and if we seek to be part of His kingdom, how can we do without this quality? "For he is our peace, He has destroyed the barrier...the dividing wall of hostility...on the cross He reconciled us to God." Victory does not always come with shouts and fanfares but thanks to God for those blessed people who all over the world who bring the victories by their peaceful, humble and merciful lives before God. The love of God is inseparable from the love for people. Without love our desire for peace is nothing but a wishful thinking. According to Jesus, if you desire peace, then: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all the soul and all of your mind and love your neighbor as yourself."  Peace is the result of love.

I hope you have noticed how love, justice and peace are so closely intertwined in the words of Jesus that they cannot be separated from one other? And this is all because the idea of "peace” in Scripture is so huge. Jesus was a Jew, and when He was speaking about peace He used the most important Jewish word "Shalom." Do you know what "shalom" meant for a first century Jew?

1.     1. Material well-being

2.     2. Loving relationship with God, family, Israel and other nations

3.     3. Moral goodness and integrity

For a Jew to have peace (Shalom) meant:

·      • Have what you need and to need what you have

·      • To love those with whom you are and to be with those whom you love

·      • To be loved by those with whom you are and

·      • To do good to people as they are doing good to you.

Isaiah (60:11) says: " Your gates will always stand open, they will never be shut, day or night, 
so that people may bring you the wealth of the nations— their kings led in triumphal procession." He envisions a day that will go down in history as the glorious day of Israel: "I will make peace (Shalom) your governor and well-being your ruler. No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, 
but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise" (17-18). The Hebrew word "shalom" means well-being. Peace is a consequence of the fact that your guardian is Shalom, your ruler is Righteousness, your walls are Salvation, and your gates are Praise. And when Jesus came, He embodied this image, this dream.

Every Christmas, we sing, "Peace on earth, good will to men." When Jesus began His preaching ministry, He proclaimed God's blessing on the "peacemakers", and when his ministry was drawing to a close, the crowd shouted: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest." But also Luke tells us that Jesus wept when He looked over Jerusalem, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace – nut now it is hidden from your eyes!" (Lk. 19:42) The people in Jerusalem did not understand the one thing that will give them what they were so desiring (Shalom). The Kingdom of Jesus is the Kingdom of Peace. But this peace comes with great difficulty. The peace is a result of a life dedicated to reconciliation, love, justice, result of a life, which allows for your inner peace of God spill out and become outward, become peace to the world.

If peace is when you have what you need and need what you have, how much have we done for such peace if almost 4 billion people worldwide live on less than $ 2 per day while in our closets there are dozens or even hundreds of things that we do not even need? If peace is when you love those who you are with and you can be with those whom you love, what have we done for such peace if almost 80% of marriages end in divorce in Russia (Christians are not an exception), if in Russia, there area bout 800.000 orphans and children without parental care? If peace is when you do good to people as they are doing good to you ... how far are we from that Peace Kingdom dream of Jesus if the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is still continuing, and there is an ongoing genocide of one nation against another.

But we don’t really need to look that far and what is happening right in our midst? How integrated is our church? Statistic talk about a 20% mark - that is, if the church overcomes the 20% threshold on the number of minorities’ representatives, it can be considered fully integrated. All of us if heard of the segregation in the US or South Africa would shake our heads: how could African American people could be treated like that and kept at bay by Christians in the Churches? And some of the same people went here through a painful period of us trying to be an integrated church, because they were so worried about the growing number of Armenians in our church. But thank God we as the church grew out of these fears and finally understood what it means being a unified body of Christ and the reflection of God's kingdom.

But this is only а beginning. What is the reputation of our community of faith in our society? Do the poor seek out our church, knowing that they can find help here and know Shalom? Do those who were scarred by life? Those in need? Those rejected by others? Regardless of our nationality, our understanding of "peace" must be a Jewish understanding of "Shalom". Because Jesus dreamed of the kingdom in which God's will would done on earth as it is in heaven. He came to establish a society, which in its very essence is formed by the love of God and love of neighbor, a society where justice is sought for all and people work hard for real peace. Peace comes from those who live justly and lovingly, because they follow Christ Who is the Prince of Peace. If we do not see peace in our lives or around us we might have to honestly ask ourselves: have I forgotten about love and justice, do I DO them with every opportunity? If there will be love and justice, there will be peace.