liadanslyre

“peace is not simply the absence of conflict but the presence of justice.”
~ maureen sullivan

for our purposes here- i will take credit for this quote to appear intelligent and wise (but i didn’t really say it- i can’t find the reference).

i think we way undersell what peace even is...
(see previous post for blog post map for this week)

here’s my working definition of peace. please feel free to expand it for me…

one of the more compelling lectures I remember from vli was hearing steve robbins talk about what shalom is…

shalom is the Hebrew worked for peace right?

steve’s thesis was that peace in american Christianity is simplistic and narrow and outlined the symetic understanding of peace. he talked about how often peace is reduced to a byproduct of salvation (i.e. peace with God through Christ rom. 5.1) which that is gravy right there in my mind. he went on to coin a term “Gospel shalom”. he talked about it in terms that made me long for a paradigm shift in outreach efforts that are common in evangelicalism.

he delineated how Gospel shalom was about wholeness that extends to a persons physical being as well as their spiritual being. Gospel shalom is working to reverse the curse- praying for our physical bodies to be restored and healed; working to alleviate the shame of those who suffer, working to free our present day captives in the literal and figurative sense etc.

shalom is not a warm gushy feeling that we experience when we know Jesus. it is less of an adjective and more of a verb (yes, it’s used as an adjective- but work with me here). i don’t think it comes at the exclusion of force or intervention.

does the bible give us a precedence that peace comes at the exclusion of intervention- even if it the intervention may include force? well- i don’t know the exhaustive answer to this question. but there’s plenty of scripture that is descriptive that includes the use of force and describes wars and stuff. but in my opinion that’s not too much help.

there is also- scripture that is prescriptive and describes the means by which we know peace. the linchpin of redemptive history was the violent death and forceful intervention of Jesus on the cross. we are not saved through a blood drive. there is no sterility clean peaceful way to describe the crucifixion account. the blood that is so often in the same sentence as peace did not come our way through the pacifism of God (1 Pet. 1.2, Eph. 2.14-15, Colossians 1.20). our only hope for peace (adjective or verb) is through the cross of Jesus.

am i looking to fight? am i suggesting that we should look to be violent? i sure hope not- although i do have a disposition that likes some spice every once in a while…

please let me know what you think about this working definition.

*remember:*
“if it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
~ rom 12.18

so please play nice with one another if you decide to utilize comments for interaction.

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next post (i think):
"i think it is important for christians to be part of the politcal process. the Church could easily hamstring ourselves when we put it at odds with the advancement of the Kingdom. when times arise when christians are asked to compromise on the central issues of Gospel life- then we part ways and don't shame those that choose not to."
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