ADVANCE // PEACE

Peace? What is it? If you take our societal view of it, you probably have in your mind someone who's pretty "chill" and doesn't really cause any conflict. And, yeah, to some degree, it does have to do with how we handle conflict-- but it's so much more than the absence of it.

The writers of the Bible pepper all of their writings with this concept of "shalom" (Hebrew) or Eirene (Greek)-- it's the idea that things are whole, completely right.

And, if a person takes Jesus up on His offer to the life He's offering, you get "peace" like no other-- right relationship with God and the infinite possibility of right relationships with people. You get to be called a "son or daughter" of God. That's amazing. Because, on the one hand, it means that we get all the rights and privileges that a son or daughter would have; but, on the other hand, we also have this awesome opportunity to "resemble" our Father in heaven. We can be "chips off the old block.

And as God's reign brings peace-- we bring peace too-- because that's what God's kids do.