When I was in college, the minister from my hometown church held a revival in a town about thirty miles away, which happened to be my roommate’s hometown. She invited me, along with another friend, home with her for the weekend so that we could go and hear him. His message was based on our epistle lesson for today. I’m sure he had lots of good things to say, none of which I now remember except the phrase that struck my heart that night: “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.” I knew, without one doubt, that was what I wanted—needed—in my life. At the altar call, I suspect my pastor was surprised to see me coming down the aisle, tears pouring copiously, but not more surprised than I, or my friends, for that matter. Our home church was not one where emotional displays were common. It was a new experience for me. He met me at the altar and prayed with me. Looking back on it, I recognize it as a conversion experience of sorts, though I had been a Christian my whole life.

In the years thereafter, I came to realize that God’s “peace that surpasses all understanding” is deep inside, underlying whatever circumstances may appear in the world. That was the thrust of Jesus’ message to his disciples in that upper room the night before he died: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (Jn.14:27) God’s peace is not rational; it is in the heart or not at all.

The world sees peace as the absence of conflict. The peace of God is not disturbed by conflict. With God’s peace in our hearts, we are able to meet life head on with strength and courage, to face what life brings our way with equanimity, trusting God’s love to see us through. Hymn # 661 in Hymnal 1982 sums it up well for me: “The peace of God, it is no peace. . . Yet let us pray for but one thing—the marvelous peace of God.”