Bernt Støylen (1858-1937), bishop of Kristiansand, Norway. 1 Corinthians 13: 1–13 I hope you’ll read through it and think about what peace means to you and how you can add more of it to your life and the lives of those around you. Had we not sung on every Sunday “Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”? But he never even tried to do it. It isn’t a by-product of Christmas cheer or other happy thoughts. It would have been so much easier for Jesus if he had simply joined the Zealots, who fomented violence against Rome, or the Sadducees, who tolerated partnership with the Romans, or the Pharisees, who by the time of Jesus focused on personal piety instead of social reformation. According to the Christian point of view, our awareness of right and wrong is a divine gift, as are its outgrowths: law and civil order. Origen (c.185-c.254), Christian philosopher, theologian, teacher; a Father of the Greek Church. Jesus’ birth was only a prerequisite to his final peacemaking effort, something we celebrate during Holy Week, not during Christmas. I will give them their land and multiply them, and I will put my Temple among them forever. Charles Alfred Cripps, Baron Parmoor, (1852-1941), British lawyer and statesman responsible for League of Nations affairs in MacDonald’s government. Christians are people who live now in intimate fellowship with God and with God’s people. Both of us would sometimes end up saying things to each other that were more than a little inappropriate. If anything as inconceivable as this were to happen, people would appoint a new government which would uphold agreements solemnly concluded by king and parliament. Without forgiveness, we’d soon build up walls of hostility that would damage our fellowship and reflect poorly on the Lord. by Ashley C. Glyn (London, 1868). 29. The Conference was a triumph for Söderblom. I remember a time, years ago, when I was confronted with the question of whether or not to apologize to my son, Nathan. He was whipped, and we were healed!” (Isa 53:5). The second vice-president of the European section is a Frenchman, Professor Wilfred Monod, of Paris. He also drove me crazy at times, and I generously returned the favor. In their lack of shame we also sense the peace that fills their own souls. The peace of God is not based on circumstances like the world's peace, so it doesn't always make sense to the carnal mind; Paul says it is a peace that surpasses comprehension. After about four miles of uphill hiking we came to upon the dazzling cascades of Mist Falls. God himself will be with them. 14:27). The more you focus your mind upon God and the things of God, the more you will dwell in his peace. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Albert Thomas (1878-1932), French Socialist, minister of armaments (1915-1917), director-general of the International Labor Office (1919-1932). Frances’s stepmother came between her and her father, causing deep hurt to the girl. Different cultures, religions, philosophies, and organizations have varying concepts on how such a state would come about. City Dwellers was, in part, a response to God’s word through Jeremiah:”But seek the peace [shalom] of the city to which I have sent you in exile, and pray to the Lord for it, because in its peace [shalom] will be your peace [shalom] (Jer 29:7). So don’t be troubled or afraid (John 14:27). I could easily ignore the texts that connect peace with righteousness and justice, or else relegate them to the future when Christ returns. The fifth section is made up of old and new churches in the Orient and elsewhere which do not belong to any of the four sections just mentioned. For there is no power but of God.”19 St. Peter wrote: “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake.”20 This rule was valid even when Nero was emperor of Rome. A supranational judicial system is being built. Finally, as the ultimate demonstration of what sin has destroyed, God banished Adam and Even from paradise. It may be seen then that the resolution did not originate from irresponsible visionaries but from trustworthy men, deeply loyal to their people. Above the entrance to the hall where the Assembly of the League of Nations has up to now held its meetings, we can read the words: “Salle de la Réformation”. It must force its way outward and become the property of society, a concern of all churches and all people. They reveal God’s intentions for how we are to live. Exactly the same thought had inspired our endeavors in the North and motivated the petition presented at the meeting of the World Alliance in Oud Wassenaar near The Hague in 1919. Did it seek healing for the sick and the brokenhearted? Desert the fatherland when it goes to war? When Paul, a faithful Jew, speaks of “peace with God,” he thinks of the Old Testament concept of shalom. Now let me say at the outset of this series on Seeking the Peace of Christ that I passionately believe that you and I can have personal peace with God through Christ. Aristide Briand (1862-1932), co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 1926. The Conference of Churches in Neutral Countries [Neutral Church Conference] issued statements on (1) the unity of Christians; (2) Christians and the life of society; and (3) Christians and the law. So far in this series I’ve shown how God intended his creation to be full of peace. No result of the Stockholm meeting has been more obvious and noteworthy than the realization that, according to the Gospel, God must be first in people’s hearts and must thus also rule over the people, over groups in society, and over the nations themselves. 24. It’s not all that demanding to tell others, especially if they’re geographically far away from us, what they need to do to live in peace. As pleasantly surprised as ourselves, the paper requested further information about our intention to organize an international church assembly and published an article on the matter. Isaiah’s vision of God’s future peacemaking effort takes an unexpected turn in the next chapter. As God’s peacemakers, we must take the message and substance of peace into the whole world. Adolph von Harnack (1851-1930), German Protestant theologian. If you would judge Jesus Christ by some of those who profess to follow Him, you might think that Jesus would be an advocate of individuals’ expression of disdain and even hatred toward their enemies and of nations’ r… Rather, turn your heart to the Lord. It was here that Söderblom made his proposal for the international ecumenical conference which was eventually held in Stockholm, 1925. Wherever there is conflict, whether inside individual hearts, or within families, or among brothers and sisters in church, or between different ethnic groups, or even between warring nations, Christ “wages peace” as his disciples wield the paradoxical power of the cross. They taught young people academic skills and they taught them about Jesus. Will the obligation of the church to peace then be investigated more profoundly and more generally? (3) It follows from the point just made that we must strip the armed forces of their previous role which has been fostered by our fear, our lust for power, and by our serving Mammon, and we must make them the safeguard of security, peace, and liberty, just as the police force is the safeguard within the state. The whole history of the Church is one continual effort to form the conscience of people, help them by her preaching and sacraments to establish peace in individual hearts, in families as well as in Nations. In my last post in this series, I spoke of the centrality of forgiveness in peacemaking. It is, therefore, only by the support of a movement like this that the idea of peace can be made fruitful. Our appeal was favorably received and led to the desired results on more than one occasion. Thus when terrible things happen in our world, when terrorists murder innocent people, when tsunamis or hurricanes wipe out whole cities, when rich CEO’s steal from their hapless shareholders, Christians should not be surprised. The flowers do not speak of revenge; they spring up from hearts warmly remembered; rooted in bitter reality, they grow in a new dream. My dad lost his job and remained out of work for many months. Why should this doctrine not be inculcated as early and as generally as are the other Christian doctrines? Bind yourselves together with peace (Eph 4:3). David Livingstone (1813-1873), Scottish missionary famous for his mission to and his exploration of Africa. Both Tim and I are fairly active thinkers and robust communicators. Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347-407), one of the Fathers of the Greek Church, patriarch of Constantinople (398-404). His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new person from the two groups. But he represents only a part of Christianity. . (c) The church must work for international understanding and for the settlement of international disputes through mediation and arbitration. Third, what is your passion? The greatness of Christ is due in no small part to the fact that he did not merely issue certain rules and doctrines dependent on the special conditions of His time and the prevailing cultural atmosphere, which would soon have become obsolete; he gave Himself, His person, and a doctrine of goodwill, which will be forever valid and which cannot be circumvented by any shortcuts or shortsighted simplifications. Knowing God’s Peace: Some Practical Advice. Jens Frøllich Tandberg (1852-1922), bishop of Oslo (1912-1922). As a human being, the Word of God made flesh, Jesus represented us on the cross. Of course then there’s the classic statement of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Without exception, all these men appreciated the weight and importance of this matter. The outcome of the meeting in December, 1917, was a declaration of faith in brotherhood, justice, and peace. They are not taken in. Jack would make an appointment to see me. You bet. 8. But the growing ones, the young to whom new gods are to be given, new ideas, new dreams, new tasks – the youth that is to build a new world? See G.K. A. Charles Henry Brent (1862-1929), Protestant Episcopal bishop, bishop in charge of churches in Europe (1926-1928). Third, we extend divine peace into the world by living peaceably each day: “Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible” (Rom 12:18). Linda and I left voluntarily, however. On any number of occasions we’d be on the phone the next day, asking for and granting forgiveness. Solving Human Problems through Transforming Human Attitudes That the bottom, there is God’s peace. Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937), Czechoslovak philosopher and first president of Czechoslovakia (1919-1935). But the thought of humbling myself before my young son and asking for forgiveness made me most uncomfortable. Note carefully Paul’s wise counsel. We know that personal qualities and the Spirit are everything – at least the most important in God’s realm. As we have seen, the duty of the church toward the cause of peace includes three essential tasks: (1) To inculcate the spirit of fraternity and truth into the heart of mankind. How many time must one hear and read Scripture before it's meaning is revealed? The Bishop of Oslo wrote that, if Oslo were chosen, “I will do everything in my power to arrange the meeting in the most suitable way.” He further testified to the warm interest of the King of Norway and the Prime Minister22 in an ecclesiastical world conference. It’s a gift from God. No, what we are recommending is not a breach of loyalty; on the contrary, it is obedience to a higher obligation. 31. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors” (Luke 2:14). If efforts toward peace are to get anywhere, they must be more realistic than in the past. When God saves, he will restore his kingdom so that those who live under his rightful rule will experience the fullness of his peace. The only path to peace is by following the Prince of peace. Jack was on the search committee that called me as pastor, as he had been on the first committee that called Ben Patterson, the founding pastor of the church. First, theologically conservative American Christians (like me) have tended to think of Christ’s peace mainly if not exclusively in terms of personal peace with God and the inner peace that follows from this divine relationship. “(3) We are convinced that the time must come when existing treaties have to be revised in the interest of peace, but we maintain that all international disputes and conflicts which cannot be solved through diplomacy or mediation must be settled through arbitration by the International Court of Justice or some other court of law acknowledged by both parties.”. Because Jesus was crucified, we can have peace in all of its fullness (Isa 53:5). Christ’s commandment to love one another must, therefore, be spread among all people. When I come home from work, after a day of exercising humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness in my work life, I’m worn out. By his death he ended the whole system of Jewish law that excluded the Gentiles. The strife between us and the Lord has been overcome by his grace. We share in this story both because Adam and Eve are our spiritual ancestors and because we mirror their behavior in our own lives. Consider, for example, these passages from the New Testament Gospels, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Shortly thereafter her father remarried. A Christian leader I know has a terrible temper. 37. How sorely we lacked such a joint testimony during the World War! But if a body does not possess a soul, it differs little from a machine. However, our endeavors to unite are not ignored in a steadily growing section of Roman Catholic literature. For and English version see Vol. It doesn't seem reasonable that such peace could exist in the midst of the problems and troubles Christians go through. The cease-fire was not accompanied by trumpet blasts, banners, and jubilation, but limped its way from grave to grave, from line to line. The way many Christians use this language may keep those who use it from missing the biblical sense(s) of peace. But it is much easier, emotionally, to forgive one who says, “Yes, I was wrong. The Buddha taught that peaceful minds lead to peaceful speech and peaceful actions. Many peacemaking actions are clearly taught in Scripture and therefore require little debate. They won’t repent quickly enough. There the prophet describes God’s Suffering Servant, “a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief” (Isa 53:3). It was once more the Evangelical church, weakened though it was by discord and rightly criticized for its schisms, which was the first community or group of people in the world to bring together responsible men and women from both camps after the Great War. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. The second, born of Christian inspiration, recognizes progress in the victory of the spirit over the flesh; it promises nothing but what is paid for by struggle. (Psa 29:11). Officially entitled the Universal Christian Council for Life and Work, the Ecumenical Council was created as a permanent ecumenical body by the Life and Work Conference held in 1930 at Chexbres. First, look at what is right in front of you. Where you see the beginning of division, snuff it out. 50 Ways To Promote Peace. Now I don’t mean to suggest that you rush unthinkingly into some long-term commitment. Locating a perfect spot for our picnic lunch, Linda and I drank in the tranquility of our heavenly realm. Our individual experience of God’s peace depends, to a great extent, upon our participation in the community of God’s people. All people and all nations must participate in the construction of a supranational legal system, which, according to our Christian doctrine, is a continuation of God’s creation. But let us now return to 1917. Why Should We? Jesus is speaking in Luke 12 to those who expected a superficial peace, a peace that was really no peace at all because it failed to deal with the true cause of human brokenness. Bathed in God’s peace, we will once again inhabit paradise. The Ecumenical Council is as magnificent an achievement as the League of Nations. The unifying factor for the Greek church lies in a language, for the Roman church in a city, and for the Evangelical church in a joyous and inspiring message. How Do We Observe It? It encompasses everything God had intended for his relationship with us. It comprises notions of wholeness, completeness, soundness, and prosperity. Willing to sign the appeal which you sent me. ”, Despite food,. Isaiah 53 make yourself feel peaceful is right in front of you more parties proclaiming the possibility of peace supported... Many young people falling away from the faith the causes of the peace give... 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