“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways.”

- 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (NRSV)

In Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians, he ends his correspondence by asking that the Lord grant them peace. Paul is not only talking about the inner peace one may feel when they believe that all is right between themselves and God, but he specifically asks God to grant them peace at all times and in all ways. But just how many ways can there be peace among the Thessalonians? There is of course peace within themselves and peace within the community, but Paul is talking about more than just quiet in this passage. There is a deeper and more meaningful peace which Paul is proclaiming here, and this peace can only come directly from God. The scope of this peace is important. “Peace in all ways” is not just passive agreement; it is intentional action towards harmonizing with God, loving our enemies, understanding the parts of ourselves that we may not like, and properly stewarding the resources which God has granted us.

Jen Houser is a student at Duke Divinity School serving On Earth Peace as her field placement. She is a pre-licensing candidate for ministry in the Church of the Brethren. Below is a recent reflection on her work with On Earth Peace in response to a school assignment.

Question: In whom have you experienced Jesus this summer?

Last week, I had the exciting experience of attending my first Church of the Brethren Annual Conference while interning with On Earth Peace. I was excited to meet new people, but nervous as to what the week would hold. This year’s conference was different from others in that no new business was brought forward. Instead, we gathered around tables and discussed questions that guided us to remember why we all loved each other. Though we did not always agree on the issues at hand, we still built relationships with one another. In our commonalities, we found reasons to love one another.