What does “peace” mean to you? Is it a state of mind and heart, as in “inner peace?” Or is it an external arrangement of pleasing factors, like the feeling you get when you admire a peaceful scene? What promotes the sense of peace in you? Security? Safety? Strength? Confidence? Friendship?
Peace to me is an inner state. Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Each one has to find his peace from within. And peace to be real must be unaffected by outside circumstances.” Peace to me is not some distant and impossible dream, it is available here and now. Likewise, peace is not so much the absence of war, turmoil, strife and conflict as it is the presence of tranquility, calm, humility and strength.
Ralph Waldo Emerson had it right: “Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” If you are waiting for that which surrounds you to bring you peace or for the opportunity to get peace be extracting it somehow out of something external, you’ll likely stand there waiting for a long time. Peace cannot be “gotten” or “had,” rather, it is only known as you come to rest in yourself, in your present identity, with your present capabilities and extend peace to the world around you.
Peace is not always inherent in pacifism. Similarly, peace is not always passive. In fact, peace is an active, vibrant and magnetic state of being that can, if it is given the chance, move mountains.
Having been raised in the Episcopalian faith, I fondly recall a portion of the service called “The Peace,” which we typically shared before communion or at the end of service. The priest would raise his arms to the congregation and say “The Peace of the Lord be always with you.” The congregation would reply “And also with you” and then everyone would proceed to greet each other, shaking hands and exchanging smiles. I remember a certain clarity in the air, a lack of tension or worry, that seemed so different from the status quo.
To be effective and generative in the living of life you must first be at peace with yourself, in yourself and with your world. Remembering that peace is not a static or passive state, but rather an active and vibrant one, you understand that being at peace with yourself and the world needn’t imply accepting, in a weak state of resignation, that nothing will ever change. Peace is not a laissez-faire, namby-pamby attitude! You might accept things as they are for now – realizing that they will change in time – without fear that you will be stuck where you are forever. As we considered the other day, change is inevitable.
I encourage you to know peace. To live in peace. To share the peace. What really do you have to lose?
Gregory Hake 
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It seems man throughout history has attempted to conquer peace in futile attempts of battle; brother to brother, tribe to tribe, nation to nation. It seems man thinks he could attain peace as possession outside of himself. It brings to mind the words in John Mayer’s song ‘Waiting for the World to Change’, expecting someone else to take the responsibility for him to bring peace. I have personally found that it is an inside job and begins by having peace within ourselves first.
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Thanks for the great insight! Peace is not something that anyone can take away from you. It is each individual’s responsibility to create their own peace.
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Buddha said “Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace.”
I think peace is natural to human beings if we don’t take it’s rightful space up with anger, fear or hate.
Really a good gage to pay attention to. If I don’t feel peace what am I feeling that is getting in it’s way?
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Peace always seemed as if it were the result of compromise. I never thought of it as active. I felt a relaxing when I read this. Thank you
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I like the description of peace being a presence and not an absence. It certainly is true that you can’t give what you don’t have.
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No matter what the circumstance, there is always available the vividness of being alive, of following one’s breath inward and outward, of waking up each day to the brilliance of the sun. Peace to me is being tapped into this inexhaustible source of inspiration, experiencing the full dimensions of life, caring compassionately for others, and being concerned for the healing and protection of the earth. It cannot be without integrity, appreciation, respect and the absolute assumption of individual responsibility.
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As has been said, change is inevitable and is ultimately connected to a larger world beyond us. A useful question may be “In which direction are my intentions, my choices and my actions going to influence that change?” I know that as an educator the future of others depend very directly on my answer.
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My husband has a quote on his desktop from basket ball hall-of-famer Bill Bradley – “Respect your fellow human being, treat them fairly, disagree with them honestly, enjoy their friendship, explore your thoughts about one another candidly, work together for a common goal and help one another achieve it. No destructive lies. No ridiculous fears. No debilitating anger.” I often remember this quote after that moment of ‘peace’ which our pastor invites every week – I’ve found it to be a practical outline of how to continue from the moment of essence which many may experience but then seem to blow as soon as they walk out the door.
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When peace is elusive, it seems the harder it is strived for and the further away it becomes. I find that when I don’t seek peace, but look to provide a place of peace for others, then it is at hand.
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