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Peace of Heart - Complementary to peace among people and nations
Most of us want to live in peace, not in a climate of violence and war. This kind of peace is certainly worth striving for and comes from a deep, honest desire for something good for all of us. Peace of heart is not the same as peace which is the opposite of war, and it might not seem worth consideration when compared with that of obtaining world peace. However, the two are closely related, and the cessation and prevention of violence and war depends greatly upon the degree to which we have peace in our hearts.
We often need to take firm, direct action towards bringing peace to any situation where people have different values, desires, and intentions. But when we do so, anger, especially if it is directed towards others, is not going to bring about any kind of peace. However, if we have reconciled the differences within ourselves, we can offer peaceful witness and encouragement to others for accepting that the differences exist, or for identifying a way to go about living with irreconcilable differences without resorting to violence.
Peace of heart is a valuable, helpful gift that enables us to get past any anger that might arise within as we confront injustices. Every good gift requires a giver who gives freely, not for payment, reward, or anything other than love. God is such a giver, and we can ask trustingly for peace of heart, knowing that it will be not just for our sake but also and especially for the advantages that it can be for others when manifested through us. There is nothing selfish about wanting to become the kind of person whose peaceful presence in human interactions makes possible the reconciling of differences that might otherwise lead to violence and even war.
We probably know from graced intuition that violence is not a viable means of bringing about peace of any sort, but we might be less aware of how influential we can be when our hearts are truly at peace. This truth is not mentioned in the media. There are no headlines, photos, or captions about it, because it is not an immediately visible or tangible force that catches people’s attention. But this is how God works among us, individually and quietly, person by person. Each one of us who has any degree of peace of heart is a positive influence for peace in others. God does not coerce anyone to good behavior but gracefully invites people to choose what it better. And we are carriers of such grace when we believe, think, and act from peace of heart.
Seeking for, valuing, and praying for this gift is a graced means for helping to bring about world peace. Last Updated 8/22/2026