"Peace I leave you; my peace I give you....Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." Hearing these words, wouldn't most realize or imagine that a journey was about to take place, a going away from one point in time and place to another? Furthermore, wouldn't a person ask how these sentiments relate to his/her life? So, might we not ask today what is the reality of this peace that Jesus is offering. To have a clear understanding of Jesus' intentions, we must confront the reality, the intensity, the strength of our relationship to a "loving relationship with a living God" (Mulholland, The Deeper Journey, p. 52).
In these words, this gift, Jesus is both recognizing the challenges that confront every follower as well as promising a share in eternity with him. It is for us who strive to strengthen our loving relationship with Jesus by putting aside any fears we might sense when we recognize those various wants or desires that disrupt the peace we seek in our lives. We have to confront with all honesty the idols we have built up for ourselves, even the possibility that we have created a false image of God to conform to our wants and needs.
Without doubt, the impact of sin in one's life, even if only Original Sin, daily puts before us the temptation to create a "God" the way I want him to be for me. In these particular months we are bombarded by politicians trying to manipulate our perceptions of their worth. They are seeking to make us thing the way they want us to think. Temptations about in our world, our particular culture, that can easily lead us to construct "my God," as I want him to be even though it may not be an honest picture or understanding of who God is.
Jesus tells us not to be troubled or fearful when we are challenged by what is wrong, what is sinful. Peace, the reality of a loving relationship with him, is his gift to us to be able to handle what pulls us away from him, away from any chance for a loving relationship.
This is his gift to us on our journey of faith. Indeed, this is the reality of the theme for Pope Benedict's recent visit to our city, Christ is our hope.
