Genuine peace possible through Christ

Give peace a chance.

Make love, not war.

Will work for peace.

The corny clichés of pacifism ring hollow in these violent times. As you read this column, people are dying in Israel and Lebanon, their screams drowned by the din of missile attacks and milquetoast missives from the United Nations.

Over the years, bright minds with best intentions have been brought to bear on the Middle East conflict. Results have been underwhelming.

So no one is surprised by this month’s violence in Palestine. It’s happened before, many times. It’ll likely happen again.

Conflict in the Middle East dates back to the days of Abraham and highlights biblical truth about peace that is overlooked in an age in which man figures he can pretty much take care of himself without God.

The Bible says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18 NAS). Implicit in that verse is an unwelcome reality: Peace is not always possible.

Yes, it is a God-given virtue. But genuine peace cannot be made between right and wrong. The middle ground between good and evil is not peace, it is compromise. Peace is virtuous. Compromise with evil is still evil.

One of the puppet masters pulling the strings of radical Islamic groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon today is Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He’s made it well known that he despises Jews and has even publicly posited that the Holocaust is a myth. He’s suggested that Israel be moved to Europe or North America. Most of the world shudders at the thought of him being armed with nuclear weapons, as he aspires.

Unfortunately, evil men of Ahmadinejad’s ilk are ex-officio members of any Middle East peace committees, whether they’re invited or not. And you cannot negotiate peace with an armed nut case masquerading as a legitimate political leader. Israelis know this far too well. They’ve a room full of expired peace treaties punctuated with the blood of their countrymen.

Peace, however badly wanted, is not always possible. That’s the hard truth.

Another truth the Bible teaches us about peace is much more personal: “If possible, so far as it depends on you…”

In other words, if there is to be peace – in the world, or in our relationships – much depends upon us. Peace is costly. It requires sacrifice.

In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul spelled out God’s recipe for peace between people: When wronged, don’t seek revenge. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. Overcome evil with good.

To taste of peace, we first must swallow the bitter pills of selflessness and humility. On our own, we never acquire a taste for such peace. As much as we might love the notion of peace, most of us love ourselves just a bit more.

That is why we need Jesus. The Bible tells us he is the Prince of Peace. His death on the cross and resurrection purchased peace between sinners like us and a holy creator who cannot tolerate sin. Peace with God, through faith in Christ, is the key to lasting peace among people.

Jesus promises to empower his followers to be peacemakers: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). Christ desires to create within us something we cannot contrive on our own: the inner well-being enjoyed by a soul forever reconciled to God. He also desires that we share the way to such peace with others.

Real peace cannot be manufactured. Just check today’s headlines from Beirut.

The Scriptures foretell that Jesus himself one day will bring lasting peace to the world. It will be preceded by a time of unprecedented bloodshed in the Middle East; today’s conflicts are mere precursors.

Until then, Christ is doing the equally miraculous work of creating peace between people and their maker, one heart at a time.

Lasting peace will not come from better treaties, balanced armies or more moderate politicians. But it is available to all who genuinely desire it through faith in Jesus Christ.

Got peace?