Jesus offers us a gift that will hold and help us from now until eternity. Jesus offers us
his peace.
It is not peace that means we will not know disruption or disturbance. Those things will always be
there as long as we live in a broken world. Jesus' peace expresses his desire that God may give us every good thing we need. It is a peace we can draw on as a reminder that we are never alone, God will always be there beside us, even when chaos might surround us. It is the peace which comes from living in continuous communion with God.
It is important to notice that Jesus offers us the gift of his peace before he issues his great commission. Jesus knows we must be fully prepared before we step into the world. Perhaps that is why people who spend a meaningful moment with God before beginning their day find
they can cope better. Taking a few moments to fill ourselves anew with the presence of God enables us to feel that peace that surpasses all understanding. The prayer of the Act of the Presence of God, very briefly, is a moment when we sit quietly, taking in the awareness of the outside world, the place where we are, our own body and how God is present for us in our prayer. It is an opportunity to welcome our day and to become aware of God being with us. From this intimate moment with God,
we are able to move into the day aware of the Spirit within.
That is the essence of Jesus' great commission. We do
not face the world alone. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon his people, just as the Spirit breathed life into creation at the very beginning. The Spirit leads, guides, mobilises and protects us as we live our days in service of our Lord.
Allow God to look upon you with love and fill you with his presence. Notice how this feels.
Reflections by Cherie-Lynn van der Merwe
