I claim to be a pacifist. Just what does that mean? Well, for one thing, I am opposed to all war. As a young man, I registered as a conscientious objector. That was a somewhat moot decision, since I had polio as a boy, and never even had to take a physical for the draft. I was classified as 4-F. However, that decision set me on a course in life that became a major part of my belief system. I was raised in the Mennonite Church and later joined the Church of the Brethren. Those two churches along with the Society of Friends (Quakers) are generally considered to be the three historic peace churches.

However, the word "peace" means much more than the absence of war. We use such phrases as, "I am at peace with myself." That would imply that if I had to do things over again, I would probably make the same decisions in life. We look at nature and say "What a peaceful setting that was." That implies a stillness and a quietness. When Jesus stilled the storm, it is reported that he said, "Peace, be still."

In the fourth Gospel, John reports that Jesus said to his disciples at their last supper together, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." What is this peace that Jesus gave to his friends? The word he used was the traditional word for saying goodbye. The word encapsulated the entire discourse he had just given them. He was giving them his blessing and a benediction (good saying) as he was about to leave them. The Hebrew word is shalom, although Jesus was probbly speaking in Aramaic.

Many churches employ the practice of "passing the peace" before or during the service. It is a practice that recalls the words of Jesus at that final supper. Many people in our time also use the word peace as a way of saying goodbye.

So, we see that the word "peace" implies a lot more than simply the absence of conflict. It is a condition that indicates wholeness in persons, groups of people, nations, and even in nature itself. In that tradition, I wish each of my readers a hearty Shalom.