“Peace is a beautiful feeling.” This simple phrase was written not by a theologian but by a musician, the Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto. The words appears on the back cover of the 1964 record, “Getz/Gilberto.” There is something beautiful and peaceful about Gilberto’s bossa nova rhythms, which are both simple and harmonically sophisticated. 

Peace is a gift from God - one bestowed on us by Jesus at his resurrection. As the disciples gather in fear, Jesus appears to them and says, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) Jesus’ words are both a promise and a reassurance. God’s plan has not been halted but proceeds as intended. God's “peace” is the assurance of things now and of things to come. One of the fruits of peace is confidence in God, by which our faith is strengthened. 

A few weeks ago I had a brief but intense feeling of peace during a Saturday Eucharist at Christ Church. The feeling was linked to a vision of nations and countries no longer at war but in harmony with one another. It was, indeed, a beautiful feeling - one that arrived unexpectedly and lasted for only a few minutes. 

Afterwards, I thought about the wars raging across the globe. There is the war between Ukraine and Russia - a war that has lasted longer than the second world war - and there is war with Iran and the never-ending wars in Africa and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Regardless of the misery, death and destruction they bring, wars continue to break out. 

The eighteenth century English novelist Henry Fielding, seeing the damage wrought by flintlock muskets on the battlefield, proposed a solution whereby wars would be fought using only fists and natural strength. That way, loss of human life could be largely avoided. Of course, it never caught on. 

Wars begin for many reasons, some of which only become apparent years after the conflicts have ended. If we could identify the causes at the outset, there is a good chance that wars might never start - that is why diplomacy is a valued art. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9)

The paradox of war is that, for many of the participants, it can be the best time of their lives. At least, that is what some old soldiers have told me. For them, war was an adventure that made them feel alive and formed their character. The qualities of loyalty and bravery are tested in war.

A curious feature of the second world war was the reluctance of many soldiers to talk about their experiences afterwards. My father only wrote his wartime memoir at the age of 77. In my first parish following ordination there was a soldier who had helped to liberate Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. When I asked him about it, his expression changed, conveying more than words ever could.

In the US, there is a great respect for those who have served their country abroad. “Thank you for your service,” people say when they meet a member of the armed forces. It is a recognition that the precious freedoms we enjoy do not exist without a strong military to protect them. 

On that Saturday afternoon in the chapel at Christ Church, I had a vision of nations laying down their arms, of people shedding their mutual hatred and seeing one another as human, made in God’s image. I believed that this was not an imaginary of fanciful vision, but something real. The feeling I had was one of immense reassurance.

Well, as I write, the wars have not stopped, and so I wonder what my transient feeling of peace was really all about? What it has done is remove a layer of anxiety about the world from me. The feeling was a God-given one, I believe, and a vision of what will be.

When will that day come? I don’t know, since all things are in God’s hands. Yet now I believe more than ever in peace. Knowing that peace is a real possibility, it is easier for me to pray for it. I pray that our world may know the peace that passes all understanding, the peace that was given to us by a man condemned as a criminal and put to death, whose love conquered even our hatred for each other.

Father David