"MY Peace I Give"

(Please read John 14:23-29)
Lectionary Scripture - Easter 6-C

We gathered together behind closed doors to share those most unexplainable moments in our journeys of faith. Time and time again, I heard variations of the same words. "I can’t explain it. It was a peace that washed over me." Every person in the room, as they shared their spiritual journey with the others, ended by saying those same thoughts in some manner. Had they not heard the others speak of this same Peace? It was as if they must end their own sharing by saying these very words or their stories would not be complete. This unexplainable Peace proved to be the common denominator in our many different experiences. God’s Peace-giving was too defining of a moment in our lives for it not to be told once more. It was a Peace that had washed over every person. A holy Peace that now flowed through them, at times more recognizable than other times, but always there. It was that Peace that passes all understanding.

This is the very same Peace that put a song in the hearts of the imprisoned Paul and Silas. This is the Peace that lifted the eyes of Stephen in his last hours on earth. It has carried so many through the challenges of life and finds its way into the darkest of days. And this is the Peace that keeps us resting in the arms of God. It is not of our making for it is holy through and through.

Search as hard as you can. Try to find this kind of peace in possessions, in books, in money or in the words of others. You will not find it. Jesus looked at his followers and said, "Peace I leave with you; MY peace I give you." Did you hear that? He said, "MY Peace." This Peace is certainly not as the world gives and one that passes all understanding for Jesus’ Peace comes from an intimate relationship with his Father. He has seen God’s face. He has rested in God’s loving care. He has trusted his Father in all things. And Jesus has heard God call him “beloved”. THIS is the Holy Peace that flowed like a river through the veins and heart of Jesus himself. THIS is what Jesus calls “MY Peace.”

Oh, the glorious words. “MY Peace I GIVE to you. It is a gift, this Peace. Not earned, but given. As much as I would like to give it to you myself, I can’t. It is Jesus’ Peace, not mine. It is his gift for you, not mine to give. How can one preach or write about something so intimate as the giving and receiving of such Peace? I don’t think that we can. But we can offer the hope that comes in the waiting and the testimony of those who cannot share their faith-journey without ending with the words of such Peace.

Holy God, Giver of Peace … You know just the perfect time to give this gift to each one of us. Often it is when we least expect it. Many times you pour out this Peace upon us when our lives seem to be farther away from you than they should be. You are patiently persistent, carrying this gift with you always, waiting for a time when an ounce of faith slips out from a broken-apart heart or your name falls from our lips in a way that surprises us. You wait, with this gift of Peace in hand and wait and wait until the time is right for the gift-giving. Thank you, oh God, for this Peace-With-Us that washes over us and quenches our thirst with the waters of Shalom. Amen.

anna