With election season upon us, “peace” is the furthest thing from what we see unfolding before us. Televised debates aren’t the only mess; we see rifts affecting our families, friendships, or even a neighborhood garage sale turned political soap box (I’m speaking from recent experience here!). In a culture dominated by division, there could not be a more striking contrast than the peace God intends to reign among his people.
“Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all… and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body.” (Colossians 3:11, 15)
The peace of Christ is not merely an absence of conflict but a transformative reality that shapes how we relate to one another as members of Christ’s body. It is a powerful, unifying work of God’s Spirit working in and among us to break down all kinds of ordinary divisions:
- Racial Divisions: The peace of Christ not only overcame longstanding divisions between Greeks and Jews; it remains the basis for unity in the church today among people from every nation and ethnic background.
- Cultural Divisions: The Scythians were the most proverbially unrefined people of Paul’s day. Christ’s peace unites the most ‘cultured’ and the so-called ‘uncultured’, overcoming whatever differences we might have in education, upbringing, and social norms.
- Socioeconomic Divisions: The “slave or free” distinction can translate to modern economic disparities. Whether doctor or delivery driver, executive or ex-con, all these distinctions pale in comparison to the shared bond that unites us in Christ.
- Other Divisions: From personality types to our political or generational identities, the peace of Christ functions as the “rule” that helps our hearts overcome profound differences between us and our brothers and sisters in Christ.
What does this peace look like in practice?
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:12-14)
Cultivating this peace of Christ among us involves pursuing the following virtues:
- Compassion: Showing genuine concern for others in difficult situations
- Kindness: Being friendly, pleasant, and generous
- Humility: Considering others above ourselves
- Meekness: Exhibiting a gentle, considerate disposition
- Patience: Embracing others indulgently and forgiving offenses
Ultimately, Christ is the perfect exemplar of all these godly characteristics. It is through His Spirit working within us that we can manifest such selfless love. Yet we do have a responsibility to one another as Christians, and there is no reason our love should not overflow to the unbelievers as well.
Have you experienced this incredible unity we find in Christ? Do you have friends who are very different than you – if not, why not go and cultivate those kinds of relationships, starting with those in your local church?
We must also ask ourselves, “Am I willing to forgive, even when someone has legitimately wronged me?” Let us, as Christians, be known for this peace that transcends all understanding and love that defies any hint of selfish gain.
