our lord who is both christ the king and prince of peace is the wellspring of true and lasting peace. called to be christians and disciples, there are four ways that we can drink of this water of heavenly peace.
pilate confronts jesus and asks him about his kingdom. our lord responds to him and proclaims that his kingdom is other than all the earthly kingdoms. while the reality of kingdoms that all end up in dust leave behind them remains of people victimized, jesus’ true kingdom champions living justice and stands forever. christians who follow our lord and decides to participate in his work of building up peace, starts here. taking the first step of renouncing violence and choosing against its futility is the very birth of work for peace . the first person who channels christ’s peace chooses the alternative to violence. the first man of peace is he who renounces violence.
the gift of peace however also goes beyond denouncing and naturally flows to proclamation and the sphere of action. the second man of peace refuses to stay only at the level of negation of brutality, inhumanity or disorder. the man of peace who shares our lord’s passion works actively for its realization. hence jesus reminds us in his parable of the sheep and the goats (mt 25, 31-46) that following him goes beyond avoidance of doing evil but actually doing good. hence in pursuing peace we are to go through the works for peace; the efforts for justice; the service of our brethren.
on his third conversion however, he who negates violence and opts to willfully work for peace, stands face to face with someone who intends and does him harm. confronted with such, the man of peace faces off with palpable and plain negativity. will he abandon his posture of peace or go deeper into the heart of his call? even our lord went through the spectre of such malevolence and whispered to his father, “if it be possible, let this cup pass from me” (mt 26, 39). the cup did pass of course, but only by drinking from it (bonhoeffer). and thus our lord paved the way for those who would follow him to the very heart of peace. giving to receive, pardoning to be pardoned and death to life (st. francis of asisi). the third man of peace does not harm those who harm him; he does not do violence to the violent man; he does not retaliate; he renounces vengeance.
yet again another conversion is offered to those who open themselves fully to God’s joy and gift of peace. the deepest call is heard in the heart of the man who has learned to respond with love to every act of hatred. lest we be caught up in romanticism or futility of masochism we should clarify already, the option to love is not the weakness of passivity or weakness. the option to answer with love is the very strength of he who is one with our lord. he who is strong in bearing the cross and yet is firm in correcting errors and denouncing injustice. true love is not about being nice, true love is responding in justice and the stability of truth.
the cross of peace can only be fully grasped as love; the very depth of the mystery and the fullness of god’s truth (1 jn 4, 8). yet the one who is able to respond in love before the futility of violence and decadence is the one who has first received love unconditionally, infinitely and fully (1 jn 4, 19). love is not about our efforts only, it is about us responding to the very depth of god’s promise and choice of love. the symbol of this mystery is the sacred heart, wounded and bleeding because of the violence that is of humanity. yet the heart responds with love that in the cross the wounded lord says, “forgive them.”
yes our king’s throne is his cross, and his crown is made of thorns, yet his kingdom is that of peace, joy and true love.
