Peace and Reconciliation

Reconciliation and forgiveness are the cornerstones of the Christian faith. There is no point to Christianity without grace. Jesus died to earn us that grace. The reward to us for his ultimate sacrifice was the promise of God’s mercy. When we extend forgiveness to those who hurt us, we become like God. Easter is the celebration of the moment that the promise of reconciliation was sealed by Him. The spirit of reconciliation is not common amongst us mere humans. So often, the urge is to pay back the pain we have been delt. The urge to revenge then, is natural, effortless. It takes strength and commitment to forgive. It also takes strength to repent, to repudiate our own actions. Forgiveness, even unilateral, can give us peace, but harmony requires true reconciliation, a conscious act by both parties, and agreement to go on and move forward, and put past transgressions behind. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” – John, 14:27. Peace as the world gives us is simply the lack of violence. Sometimes, the cessation of violence only after the need for it has been sated. Sometimes, it’s just a pause in the punishment being delt by others in a position of power over us. The Lord’s peace is different, the Lord’s peace is one of not just an absence of violence, but a feeling of calm and tranquility. In the world, we can have peace, and still not be at peace. With God, we can be at peace, what’s more, we can choose it. We can leave others in peace, yet if we still harbor resentment, we are not at peace. When we extend grace to others, both sides are at peace. It is a mutual experience. So, it is with the grace of God, a mutual expression of peace and reconciliation. This calls for us to rise above or normal human tendencies. It’s an effort on our part, but no more than the effort it takes to accept a gift, after all, Jesus says he gives us peace, so whatever effort it takes to accept it is up to us.