Second Sunday of Easter
Inner Peace
“Blessed are those who believe without seeing.” Amen to that. I want to extend that sentiment to peace. Blessed are those who have peace without seeking. Again, amen to that. I am sure there are some people who are blessed in that way. But for the rest of us, to whom peace does not just appear, Thomas provides an alternative model of finding peace.
Thomas is open and honest about what he needs, saying, “Unless I see the marks in his hands and feet, and the wound in his side, I won’t believe.” Because of his insistence, he finds what he is seeking: the knowledge that this is the risen Christ, and the peace that comes with that knowledge.
How often are we not open and honest with ourselves about what we need for inner peace? Perhaps we don’t offer ourselves forgiveness. Perhaps we surround ourselves with people who tear us down. Perhaps we fill every last waking moment with things to do, hoping it will make things better. This is not an extensive list. We all have things that create turmoil within, and we cling to those things, thinking that they somehow will bring about peace.
Inner peace comes from all sorts of places. It starts with Thomas’s example of honesty, not clinging to the causes of our inner turmoil, and naming what we need in order to find peace. Finding peace can be as simple as learning to take time for ourselves, or as complex as finding a therapist and working through deep-seeded issues. Whatever it is that brings about Christ’s spirit of peace in us, it starts with our being honest, just like Thomas.
Zach Dease, pastor, Macedonia Moravian Church
Advance, North Carolina