The Dawn of Peace

My peace I give unto you.—JESUS.

IN the presence of the ceaseless turmoil and strife of human history, men have read the words of Jesus with mingled feelings of incredulity and hope. Many Christian men, in practical approval of the material law of the survival of the fittest, seem ready to condone war as a necessity, and at the beginning of this twentieth century one may find prominent religious journals exploiting the army and navy of a so-called Christian country, and giving the most effective engines for the destruction of human life the commendation of beautifully illustrated descriptive articles! It would seem that they understood the words of Jesus, "I came not to send peace," to mean, not that the excitation and resistance of error is an inevitable incident of Truth's appearance, but that Truth must meet and overcome error upon its own ground and with its own weapons. And yet there stand the words of the Master, "Put up thy sword," and his voice is heard in every responsive heart pleading for the things that make for peace, and slowly but surely the tolerance of strife, the consent to its legitimacy, is passing from the Christian consciousness.

The recent gift of a million and a half dollars to erect a building for the use of a permanent International Court of Arbitration at The Hague, is but one of many incidental and encouraging evidences of growth in the world's recognition that physical combat between nations is as animal, and as degrading as it is between men; that the adjustment of international difficulties is both wise and feasible, and that the settlement of conflicting claims through mutual concession is the only course that is in keeping with national dignity.

Another significant indication of the dawn of peace is the marked tendency toward denominational union, which is asserting itself in all Christian bodies, and the entire indifference of the great majority of Christian laymen to issues which once led to fierce contentions. Men smile to-day at what seems to them the unimportance or the foolishness of the fine points over which their grandparents, if not their parents, fought.

The two great branches of Methodism and of Presbyterianism in America are steadily approaching each other, and at a recent conference in Pittsburg, between representatives of the United Brethren, Methodist Protestant, and Congregational denominations, definite steps were taken toward the union of these organizations.

In England the National Free Church Council is making rapid progress in the direction of a union of all the non-conforming churches, and in Australia and New Zealand the advance is more marked.

Further: the era of conflict in churches is no less surely passing than that between churches. It is felt everywhere that these strifes of personality, are not only utterly incongruous but grievously wrong, and that the distrust they beget without, is but the sequence of decay within. The contempt and condemnation which non-Christians have visited upon this offence has been no less deserved than severe, and we may well give thanks that this shame and disgrace to denominational Christianity is also passing, and that humility, mutual respect for personal convicitons, and brotherly love are bringing peace by casting out personal ambition, criticism, and domination, with every other demon of mortal mind. The harmony and love of a Christian church, whatever its distinctive creed, constitutes it a Bethel,—a house of God. As a city that is set on a hill, it cannot be hid, and men ever say of it, "Peace be within thy walls."

It is to be seen that every blessing of peace in the associations of nations and of men is but an expression and resultant of the establishment of peace in individual hearts. When Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you," he addressed every sincere and trustful believer, whether of the past or present. Peace is the stillness and content of the heart-home where the Christ is ever welcomed. It means that fear and anxiety have been banished, that this world's distracting illusions have lost their hold, that the narrowness of self-seeking has given place to a lofty altruism, and that love for God and for our brother man has been enthroned.

And does this seem but a far-off vision to some of us? Then we may have forgotten the requirements of a divine order whose inflexibility is its crowning virtue and gain for man. Jesus spoke this word of assurance to those to whom he had already given his love, his teaching, and his example; and we may not claim his peace if we are not reflecting his love and conforming to his life. Are we troubled in heart, disturbed, annoyed, restless, irritable in any degree or over any thing?—then let us recall again his gracious assurance "Lo, I am with you alway." His love, his word of counsel and rebuke, his example of daily living,—these are ours, to be made manifest in our lives and so bring us his peace. In the unselfishness of our consecration, the inoffensiveness of our attitude toward all men, the conscientiousness of our loyalty to our highest concept of Truth in Christian Science, and to the Cause for which we stand; in the breadth of our charity, the justice of our criticism, the genuineness of our brotherly love, and the constancy with which we mind our own business,—in the companionship and expression of these Christian virtues we shall find our own abiding peace, and so most help to bring peace to the home, the church, and the world.

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