Introduction
‘Peace’ easily becomes an anodyne word: a word with no bite or challenge. Yet we know that peacemaking is one of the most challenging of all human activities. In a world so full of conflict, how do we rekindle hopes for peace?
This week's news
In their Easter messages, both the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury called for resistance to violence and the pursuit of peace.
Barack Obama and Raúl Castro held a historic meeting, in which they agreed to foster a new relationship between Cuba and the USA.
The NHS is one of the key battlegrounds in the forthcoming election.
Reflection
‘Peace be with you’ may well have been a conventional greeting in first century Judea, as it is today in many languages and cultures. But the first Christians clearly felt that on the lips of Jesus it carried an important message. (The greeting is omitted in some early manuscripts of Luke 24 – it may have been imported from John 20:19. But this only strengthens the evidence that Christians treasured the phrase.) In contrast to the brutality of the crucifixion, and the disciples’ bewilderment, not to say terror, at seeing a ‘ghost’, the risen Jesus brought peace. This peace, however, was no escape from brutality and bewilderment, but rather a way through them. Jesus still carried his wounds. As we think of conflicts around the world, and in our own communities or families, we know that peace is no easy option. It is the hard road of relinquishing our need for power and control, and being willing to compromise. On that road, small gestures, such as a handshake, or a meal together, count for a lot.
Jesus challenged the disciples to rethink recent events; and then to look even further back, reading the scriptures in a new light. Now that Obama and Castro have sat down together, not only the future, but also the past of American-Cuban relations can be reassessed. There is an opportunity for past conflicts to be reconsidered, each party beginning to realise what it felt like from the other side.
Our bodies are the source of much frustration and pain. No wonder the NHS is high on the list of election issues. It would be so much easier to be at peace without the inconvenience of a body! Yet, as the gospel story vividly illustrates, thanks to broiled fish, the resurrection is not about escaping from the body to become pure spirit. The risen Jesus inhabits a wounded body. Not that the church has always been comfortable with bodies, as Diarmaid MacCulloch’s provocative new TV series ‘Sex and the Church’ makes clear. The warm weather, arriving at last, gives us an opportunity to remind ourselves that we are physical beings, whether by going for a long walk, or simply enjoying the sunshine on our faces.
With so many problems in the world, it is easy to feel guilty about taking time for oneself. But we are of little use to anyone when anxious and stressed. Take inspiration from Alice Stevenson, who finds peace in the big city, and carve out your own peaceful moments.
Prayer
Here are some biddings for the intercessions,
which could either be used as they are, or expanded upon.
After each bidding, and a time of silence, the intercessor says:
In our doubts and fears, may we hear your voice
And the congregation responds:
Peace be with you
We pray for people living within earshot of gunfire,
and for those stuck in the squalor of refugee camps.
We pray for those Christians with whom we disagree:
whose theology, attitudes or churchmanship differs from our own.
We pray for communities where there is tension,
and people are afraid to walk the streets at night.
We pray for families divided by conflict,
whose members no longer speak to each other.
We pray for people living with physical pain,
and those tormented by their inner demons.
We pray for ourselves,
our decisions and dilemmas.
Questions
- With whom did you share your most memorable meal?
- How would you define ‘peace’?
Action
Does your church offer a haven of peace for people coping with stressful lives? Could part of the building be set aside for silent prayer, with calming decor? Are members of the local community encouraged to use the building if they need some time alone to think or pray? Could you put on an occasional quiet reflective service?
Young People
Brainstorm ideas about ‘peace’. When do you feel most at peace? And when do you feel least at peace? Share ideas about coping with situations of conflict. Do you notice any parallels between your own experiences and situations in the wider world?
Ann Conway-Jones preaches at Old Church, Smethwick.
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