Biblical Reflection: PEACE, By BEROCAN Rogers, SDB-Kabgayi
- PEACE.
Peace is one of the greatest fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is important to the life of a believer. Jesus tells us in the book of Mathew ‘’ Blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called children of God.’’ (Mathew 5:9.)
Are you a peace maker? In deed if am peaceful in my own heart, there is no way out I can do contrary to my neighbor, because I will be conscious that my neighbor is a human who need peace like I do.
Today majority are not peaceful due to one problem or the other as a result, they are not peaceful with others too. Some people think that making peace with others as Jesus recommends us to do is to drink and sleep so that they may not have time to talk to their friends, running away from their friends so that they don’t chat with them, keeping quiet not to say anything, praying all the time so that they hide from those who wants to talk to them…
All these are wrong and negative to the act of making peace Jesus recommends us to practice. Instead we need to be free and reconcile with everyone. Jesus teaches us well on how to make peace in the book of Mathew “If you bring your gifts to the alter and there realize that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift to the Alter; go first to be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Mathew 5:22-24)
To be a peace maker you need to reconcile first with yourself and if all is well with you, you reconcile with your neighbor and then with God and God will give you peace which in turn, you will offer to your brothers.
God need to use the heart of every believer to plant peace amidst his people. But He does not force us in order to give us peace. He need each believer to ask for that out of the liberty He has given him. We should ask for this peace from God with our open heart, so that we can also plant it amidst God’s people. We cannot give out what we don’t have. Let us ask God to bless us with this gift.
Let us pray: Lord God Almighty, author of peace. Fill me with your peace and make me the instruments of your peace amidst your people, make the work of my hands give peace to your people, make the words that come from my mouth give peace to your people, make my behaviors give peace to your people, make my prayers be a source of peace for your people. We ask all this in the Name of Our Jesus Christ Amen.