Mennonite Church Peace Resources for Youth

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines peace as "freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions" I think this has significance. We usually think of peace as a state of being, but it's more than that. It is a mental state and a way of thinking. The same way war and violence have deep roots, so does peace.

Peace isn't just a state of neutrality between wars, even though it often seems that way. Peace is an active state of love. That has to start inside. We can't just say "Oh, let's sign a treaty, now we have peace" because it just doesn't work that way. If we do that, we still have the inner hostility. Nothing has been resolved and the conflict is only going to start up again.

Galatians 5:3 states it perfectly, "The entire law is summed up in a single command: Love your neighbor as yourself."(NIV) Once we can do that, all reason for conflict disappears. If we as humans could only learn to use love instead of violence to resolve our conflicts, the world would be in better shape. But everything starts small. Try using love next time you clash with someone, not violence.