Pause for thought

What a person normally leaves behind in their last will and testament is their accumulated wealth and possessions to be distributed as they direct. But Jesus left behind no material possessions, no bank account, no houses or land. His legacy was of an altogether different kind. Chief among Jesus' bequests was his peace. 'Shalm' (the Hebrew word for peace) was the customary Jewish greeting and farewell. This is the peace Jesus bequeathed as a gift to his needy disciples on the verge of his departure to dispel their fear. No one has ever exhibited such peace in the midst of trouble as did Jesus. His peace is different both in kind and in the way it is given from anything the world has to offer. It does not depend on outward circumstances or absence of conflict. In fact, it thrives in the midst of trouble. We can discover tranquillity in the middle of trials, calm in the centre of crises. Jesus does not promise his followers a bed of roses. In fact, he foresees trouble ahead; conflict is inevitable if we follow him. But because he has conquered the world, we can take courage. Because he is victorious, we can be too. I read of a traveller in the desert of Arizona who noticed a bird's nest hollowed out of a prickly cactus tree. The nest was surrounded by thorns but among the thorns a bird had hollowed out a place of security and peace. As he looked at the nest he said to himself: "In the midst of a thorny environment I can find the same degree of peace that Jesus displayed in the midst of this thorny world."

However difficult or thorny a situation may be, Jesus' presence and power enables us to be calm. In a world of racial hatreds, ethnic divisions and class warfare, Christ himself is our peace. The ground is level at the foot of his cross.

In him every ungodly wall is demolished, every prideful barrier broken down. To close: His was a peace that didn't go to pieces. And that same peace can be yours.

This week's thought: The sharper the storm the sooner it is over.