The word “peace” is central to our understanding. Likewise, peace is a consistent theme throughout the New Testament, and Paul especially continually refers to the Lord as “the God of peace”. Like in Romans 15:33 (NIV) “The God of peace be with you all. Amen.” This was even one of the central teaching of Jesus, He proclaimed in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

For those looking to live out mission, or anyone really looking to truly exhibit Christ-likeness- we should embrace a posture of peace. In fact, our lives in the way we conduct ourselves should give off the scent of peace to everyone around us, all we come into contact with.

Lance Ford co-author of Right Here, Right Now states: “In our quest to carry out a faithful mission as God’s ambassadors, we should honestly evaluate our “peace” quotient. We should consider whether or not we evoke peace in our daily interactions with others and made a point of “so far as it depends on us, be at peace with all men.” The Word of God commands us to pursue peace (2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Peter 3:11), and one can only imagine the results if we who claim the sign of the cross placed as much thought and effort into cultivating peace as we do in justifying ourselves and criticizing others.”

Some thoughts to challenge ourselves begins with those people we brush past in the streets, in the hallway, in an aisle, the people we barely pay notice to and walk past as if they do not exist. Those people who we often times barely acknowledge their presence in word or action… I must admit this happens all too often and is very easy to do in our culture and society today where behavior like this is the norm. If we are to be ambassadors of God’s peace to the world around us should we behave in this manner? Is this how we “live peaceably among our brothers”?