Channels Of Peace

John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (NIV)

Two seemingly small incidents teamed together to direct my thoughts this week. The first incident happened earlier in the week, when over a hundred millimetres of rain (four inches) fell in less than a day. Basements became pools of water, deep gullies were carved as water rushed downhill, whole sections of roads were washed away, and two lives were lost because of these torrents of water. Peaceful water, normally contained within the channels or banks of these rivers and streams, had overflowed, leaving in its path destruction and tragedy.

The second incident happened during a church service. In the quietness of worship, and amidst the invitation to reflect on the peace that Jesus brings to his children, the soloist's voice rang out with the words, Make me a channel of your peace. "Make me a channel," the words invited: a person through whom peace can flow. Make me a conductor of peace.

The two pictures caused me to wonder: what do others see in us? Are we channels or conductors of God's peace? Do we allow his love to flow through us, or are we like the raging torrents after a rainstorm, digging new trenches and deep gullies into the landscape to carry turmoil instead of peace, because we are cutting out our own path, not allowing God's peace to channel through us?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we join together in praying that each one of us will be a channel of Your peace. Amen.