Rector's Blog Throwback Series: Hoping for Peace - The Rev. Philip DeVaul When Love Shows Up: Weekly Reflections about God's Presence

Editor's note: As part of our When Love Shows Up
Throwback Series we are re-posting this blog post which was originally posted
on December 1, 2021.

"Christians often refer to Jesus as the Prince of Peace.
Paul simply calls Jesus himself Peace - the way John calls God Love. And yet
Jesus rarely makes people like us comfortable or unbothered. Jesus doesn't
strive to create a happy and content middle, but heads to the margins of our
lives and communities in order to reveal God's presence and blessing in the
places most unlike us.

"Blessed are the peacemakers," Jesus declares, and then
lives the rest of his life as an exclamation point to that declaration. Jesus
makes peace, and he doesn't do it by creating false binaries or forcing others
into his way of seeing things. Jesus shows up. Jesus makes himself present.
Jesus listens. Jesus recognizes faith and beauty and holiness and humanity in
lives that look nothing like his own."