Which Peace Are You
Choosing:
That of Christ or that of the World?
By Dér Stépanos Dingilian, Ph. D.
© 2002
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives.” (St. John 14:27) This is what Christ stated to his Disciples at
the Last Supper. So what is this “peace” that Christ gives the believer that
the world cannot give? How is the “peace” that Christ gives different than
that of the world, and why cannot the world give “peace” as Christ gives?
Let us compare and contrast these.
First, the “peace” that Christ gives the
human being is an intimate harmonious relationship with the Creator of the
Universe, the compassionate Go the Father of all creatures and creation. If one
were to live the Christian Way of Life, everything that he or she intends,
thinks, and does will be in tune and harmony with the will of God, which in turn
will be for the permanent betterment of all humanity for all ages.
Take for instance that which the Prophets of the Old Testament, the Apostles,
St. Gregory the Illuminator or St. Narékatzee accomplished: Though thousands of
years have passed, yet what they have done to raise the spiritual standard of
humanity is still as fresh and effective today as it was centuries ago. Being
part of such an elevation of the relationship between God and humanity is a life
giving connection that brings “peace” to a person’s or community’s life
because it elevates the human being from a mere mortal creature to a reflection
of God the immortal Creator, leading Christ to liken them to “sons of God.”
However, such is not the “peace” that the world offers. By the term
“world” it is meant those who do not acknowledge their Creator and Source of
life as God, and do not accept the revealer of this relationship as Christ the
Savior. Instead, they see themselves and their organizations, as opposed to God,
as the “creators” of law, order, and civilization in humanity. Consequently,
in order to establish their supremacy as those who can bring “peace” to the
world, such persons and groups continuously oppress others and bring chaos and
conflict upon them. In that way, they, the false and hypocritical preachers of
“peace,” will establish themselves as “gods,” as the only and the
supreme source of law, order, and progress in society. In other words, the
“worldly peace” is nothing more than a power struggle – a struggle by a
group of people to bring misery into the life of others so they outshine all
humanity, and appear as though they are the champions of “peace.” All these
hypocrites can do is offer deception, destruction, and hopelessness. So whereas
the “peace” that Christ offers brings unity and harmony in the life of
humanity and raises their standard of life, the “peace” that the world gives
is merely a power struggle by human organizations who try to oppress and
suppress others in order for them to appear as better than others. Put in
another way, whereas the “peace” that Christ gives elevates and inspires the
human being and society, the “peace” that the world offers oppresses and
demoralizes them.
Second, those who seek the “peace” as
Christ offers spend their efforts looking inwardly in order to strengthen their
relationship with God, which in turn would help them become more understanding,
compassionate, and helpful people towards others. This is the meaning of the
commandment that Christ gave: “Love one another as I have loved you.” In
contrast, the “peace” as the world gives focuses outside of one’s own
person and attempts to create conflict and misery in others so their own misery
and hypocrisy would not become apparent. The intent of such “worldly” groups
is to keep humans from finding their true source of peace in God, so they can be
more easily manipulated in the midst of confusion and lack of direction. So who
would these hypocrites and deceivers who make false promises of peace try to
oppress first? First and foremost they would try to oppress those who have peace
as Christ offers! Why? Because those who attain and maintain peace as Christ
offers are the ones who reveal to all humanity the fallacy and emptiness of the
promises proclaimed by those “worldly” oppressors who bring darkness and
ignorance in the name of peace. Those who have the peace as Christ gives are the
lights that shine in the darkness and reveal the deception of those offering
peace as the world gives. Consequently, the more peaceful a follower of Christ
becomes, the more he or she is persecuted by the deceivers so their hypocrisy
and deception is not revealed. For this reason, when Christ revealed his path
for peace, he told his Disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do
not be afraid.” (St. John 14:27)
Third, once we recognize the “peace” as
Christ gives, what can we do in order to make it grow? We can become
“peacemakers” by helping others recognize the Source of Life, God the
Father, and open a path towards growth through His Son, Jesus the Christ. This
is the essence and mission of the Christian Way of Life: To be a peacemaker.
Only when a person, a family, or a community has the peace as Christ offers and
works at bringing this peace into the life of others, only then they experience
love, joy, and fulfillment. Otherwise, if human beings do not have this peace
and do not try to become peacemakers from a Christian perspective, then their
life becomes empty, boring, and without direction. Furthermore, those who try to
deceive people into the worldly peace, capitalize on this very emptiness in
people’s life by creating false means of entertainment, meaningless goals in
life, and empty relationships so humanity will remain in chaos, and not
challenge their empty promises and tyrannical means. And again such deceivers
will try to oppress, persecute, and keep in the dark those who attain peace as
Christ gives, so their deceptive oppression in the name of peace will not be
exposed. But as the Gospel states: “The light shines in the darkness, and the
darkness has not overcome it.” (St. John 1:5)
So the question arises for us: Are we seeking peace as Christ gives, or are we seeking peace as the world gives? The catch is that we will get the “peace” that we are looking for – either that of Christ or that of the world. The peace as Christ gives leads to joy and fulfillment in life and relationships, whereas the peace that the world offers can only lead to greater betrayal, frustration, misery, and disgust. So who are we listening to, who is the role model we are following, and which “peace” are we striving for, – that of Christ or that of the world?
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