Peace be with you
In today’s Gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples and greets them with the words "Peace be with you."
Now, if I were a theatre director, I would be forced to read between the lines to see what was really going on. This would not be the ‘peace be with you’ that we say in church today, all calm and kindly. The disciples must be having an intense reaction to seeing a man who had died just days before suddenly appearing in their midst. With the door locked, too! And he wears the wounds of his death. What would your reaction be?
Jesus’s words are an entreaty to be at peace in response to the disciples’ reaction to him. Did they cry out, stand in shock, or tremble in the corner? I would have my actors doing all of this. Jesus was calming them down: “Peace be with you.”
As they come to believe in the Resurrection, the proof standing right in front of them, we are told they rejoice. Once again, Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” Are they jumping for joy, trying to embrace him? Are they crying tears of relief and happiness? Yelling? Dancing? I would have my actors celebrate enthusiastically for some time.
After sadness and fear, comes joy. Then peace.
Today, we are living in a world where Peace is desperately needed. The relentless bombing in Gaza is heartbreaking and Ukraine is still under constant attack from Russia. I suggest that you do not, under any circumstances, google “list of current wars in the world” – it will ruin your day. Peace is needed everywhere.
Why isn’t God intervening in the conflicts in the world? We hear that all the time, right? But he already did. He became a man and walked on the earth. He told us how to behave, and how to treat each other. He said very clearly, “Peace be with you.”
Towards the end of the Gospel reading, Jesus offers Thomas the chance to put his finger into his wounds, although we are not sure if he takes Jesus up on this gruesome invitation. Jesus says: “You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
All we can do is pray that belief in Jesus and His message of peace grows and expands as far and wide as possible, that it seeps into the thinking of leaders such as Putin and Netanyahu, and the killing stops.
The pattern we see in the locked room in Jerusalem gives us hope. Let us pray that after the sadness and fear of war comes the joy of a ceasefire and negotiation. Then a lasting and meaningful peace. Amen.
Today's Readings: Acts 4:32-35 Psalm 17 1 John 5:1-6 John 20:19-31
Source: Second Sunday of Easter
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