Christ is peace

Millennialists wait for Armageddon, where a new earth will come down from heaven, and we will live in peace and prosperity, as written in the Book of Revelation chapter 21. However, I do not believe that we need to wait in order to live in peace, for Jesus has given us his peace already.

Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within us, and I believe this means we have the power to repent, as it is only through admission that we may be healed. I have read in a Jesuit book that it is not the sin that the Lord looks at, but our apology, and this is also spoken in Mass after the consecration, “Look not upon our sins but on the faith of your Church”. The perfect sacrifice is a contrite heart. (Psalm 51.17)  

Jesus is that peace, and he is within us all now. He promised that he will never leave us orphans, and we get to remember this through the gift of his sacrament, offered every single day in Mass. And before we unite with him in the Eucharist, we declare an Act of Contrition in which we please the Lord and prepare ourselves to receive his perfection. To be sorry for sins is the first step in achieving peace; in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist tells us to repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus is then introduced, being baptised by John and in so beginning his ministry to give us the kingdom, which is righteousness, peace, and joy (Romans 14.17).

Hell is a place where one is so far removed from God that the transgressor is unable to repent, and even refuses to be saved. By definition, hell is the absence of hope. It is only through honesty when we may see that there is a need to admit to sin, and to correct it through the good works of love for the Lord and ourselves. This is not easy, because we can easily become poor in stature and gold as a result of becoming rich in peace.

I have found peace through being honest, humble, and compassionate; by giving away material things (no matter how little of them I have), in caring for my neighbours, and in identifying with my enemies. I have learnt about peace through working with people who are not good; people who lie, cheat, and manipulate. I have come to realize that these people do not walk with God, and understanding this has brought me closer to Him. As King David sang, the Lord has become my refuge.

Jesus Christ has given me the will to be good when I want to be selfish, to be hopeful when I want to give up, to be kind when I want to do harm, and to let go of food, money, and pride when I want to harbour. I have learnt that there is a difference between nice and good. Those who are nice are simply opportunists and cannot be trusted, but those who are good will give of themselves without question. Those who are good have only God to support them, and he does.

I can see now that so many people are without God, and those are the ones who make others feel threatened, either intentionally or not, and are then open to dis-ease and retaliation. It is only through God that I am good, it is only through God that I care for others. When I feel tested by someone, I think of Christ, and remember that he wants me to love my neighbour. When I want to exclude, judge, or cause insult to others, I remember why I am here: to be of service, just as Jesus was: the greatest Servant of all. 

Sometimes it is difficult to do God's will, but then it becomes easy like Jesus' yoke when I remember that I will be rewarded with peace. I rarely worry about being injured now, whether through my own actions or that of others, because I now know to respect God's creation. I stay out of other’s people business, and if I am involved, it is to be of assistance, and nothing more.

For as Saint Teresa of Calcutta wrote, “Give the world the best you have (because) in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them.”