Homily for a Prayer Service for World Peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” That is taken from the 14^th chapter of John’s Gospel.

On a night when we gather to pray for peace, especially as Americans I’m sure the war in Iraq and Afghanistan come first to mind and we cry out to God for an end to these conflicts. But right now there are at least 59 nations who are at war with each other or involved in civil wars. If all these conflicts ended, would we have peace?

Just take a look at the last century.

World War I came and went. It was called the war to end all wars and within 15 years tyranny raised its ugly head again and the world was cast into darkness with genocide, ethnic cleansing, the targeting of civilian populations, weapons of mass destruction.

The Second World War ended. Treaties were signed and new borders drawn. Did it bring us peace? Peace in Palestine and Israel ? Peace in Korea; Northern Ireland; Darfur; Chechnya; Somalia; Bolivia; Thailand?

We found ourselves engaged in a “Cold War” for decades with the Soviet Union . No shots were fired, all kinds of treaties were signed but there was no real peace, because peace as Martin Luther King once said cannot be defined simply as an absence of violence.

We scratch our heads and wonder, “Why do all our efforts fail? Why do we keep ending up in the same situation.”

It’s because the root cause hasn’t been dealt with. It’s because of what is left in the hearts of men and women after the treaties are signed. No one, it seems, wants to let go of the very things that lead to conflict, fear; mistrust; hatred; bigotry and selfishness. Letting go What would we do with the void that is left? We have to hate someone. Someone has to be the scapegoat.

“Not as the world gives peace do I give peace” says the Lord.

“Out attitude,” Saint Paul tells us, “must be that of Christ.” And that is hwere we discover what fills the void, what replaces the hate – the love of Christ.

• The love that casts out all fear
• That trusts in the Father’s care
• Love that puts others before self
• Love proved for friends and enemies alike with arms outstretched on the cross
• Love borne out in forgiveness toward the very men who drove nails through his flesh
• Love, that even in its own suffering, thought to bring comfort to the criminal dying at his side

Our attitude, must be Christ’s if we want true and lasting peace.

It is said that we must think globally and act locally.

It doesn’t get any more local than our own hearts. We need to let the love of Christ reign supreme in our hearts that overflowing we can say with St. Paul “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me.” Or if I might paraphrase “It is no longer I who love, but Christ (the Prince of Peace) who loves in me.”

Then we will have lasting peace within and what we possess we will share as a witness, for those around us who desperately seek it. Then peace will spread, from heart to heart, the peace the world cannot possibly give; peace that if spread will end violence and war and hatred among us.

In a few short minutes we will raise our voices in song “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” As we sing that text tonight let’s be mindful of where that peace finds its origin and in our hearts sing: “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with Christ who lives in me.”