Question: What have Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Barack H. Obama, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, The (14th) Dali Lama, Nelson Mandela, and Kofi Annan all got in common? Add John Hume’s name to that list and it should be a bit easier. Answer: Over the years, they were all awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Peace: absence of conflict According to Wikipedia; Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the establishment of equality, and a working political order that serves the true interests of all. Those who make peace between people, or between nations, perform a great service to mankind. However, as good as the absence of violent conflict is, there is hardly a country in the world where the harmony described above is perfectly in place. Even in the best families or nations, there are issues that minority (or even majority) groups struggle with. Below the surface, there are many causes of discontent. The riots in England last year are an example of the unrest that generally lies dormant, but which can come to the forefront with dramatic effect at times. The absence of violent conflict does not necessarily mean that there is the harmony or peace that we desire. Inner peace Many people strive for inner peace. It might be peace of mind from worrying about the future such as job security, pension provision, safety of grandchildren, health, etc. Others cannot have peace because their conscience knows at them because of things that they did in the past. Peace with God People try to find inner peace through all kinds of methods, from retail therapy to relationships. But as the African theologian Augustine said about God long ago; “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you.” James tells us that the lack of harmony and peace that we experience is due to sin: “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.” (James 4:1–2 NLT) Sin brings disharmony and robs us of peace, from the relatively trivial sins to the most significant evils. The Bible tells us that peace and righteousness go hand in hand, and that the absence of peace is due to sin: Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other. (Psalm 85:10, ESV) “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” (Isaiah 48:22, ESV) Everywhere that there is lack of peace is in one way or another, directly or indirectly, the result of sin. Jesus is the Prince of Peace The solution, according to the Bible, is to have our sin problem resolved. Our sin problem is primarily between us and God, so we need to be at peace with God. Peace between people will naturally follow from being at peace with God. Jesus calls us to come to him, in order to have rest for our souls. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”” (Matthew 11:28–30, ESV) Paul tells us that through faith in him, we can have peace with God. “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” (Colossians 1:19–20, ESV) When people turn to Jesus, they are at peace with God: “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” (Romans 5:1, NLT) And we look forward to the fullness of our peace, our rest, with him for eternity, when we go to be with him. If you don’t know this peace, trust in Jesus, believing that he makes peace between you and God the Father, through his death on the cross. You could pray this prayer to receive this forgiveness and be at peace with God. Be peacemakers God is the ultimate peacemaker. He loved us while we were still his enemies, and he started the biggest peace process in the history of mankind. Christians too should similarly have a desire for making peace, loving their enemies, and doing good to those who hurt them. We ought to live at peace with others, as much as possible: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18, ESV) “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual up building.” (Romans 14:19, ESV) ““Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9, ESV) Experiencing peace Trusting in God can provide inner peace of mind as we do not worry but cast all our concerns to him in prayer, as we know forgiveness from our sins and have a clear conscience before him, and as we know that he is the rock of stability in our lives, as we eagerly look forward to eternity with him. If anyone ought to get the biggest peace prize going, it ought to be the God of the Bible!