Posted on: 9th April 2026

Where can Peace be found?

In November 1939, with much of Europe at war, the Nobel Committee in Norway decided not to award a Peace Prize. In fact no Peace prize was awarded during the WWII until 1944 when it was awarded to the Red Cross. I wonder if the committee will be awarding a Peace Prize this year. They will be forming the shortlist right now with the announcement on October 9 and the award ceremony on December 10 and I think we know who won’t be earning it.

Peacemakers are important. In fact Jesus said that they live a blessed life and will be called children of God. That’s quite an accolade. Greater even than the Nobel prize.

In his autobiography, The Audacity of Hope, Barack Obama wrote that one of his foreign policy strategies was to avoid war by promoting peace. I won’t be the judge of how effectively this worked out for his Presidency, but I remember that the prophets of old foretold of the promise of peace and Jesus carried the designation, Prince of Peace - being the only one worthy of such a title.

This Easter we have been celebrating resurrection and as we read the familiar scriptures I am once again struck by Jesus’ very first gift to the traumatised and bewildered disciples as He appeared to them from the grave: “Peace be with you” He says. More than once. “Peace be with you."

Jesus not only promoted peace, He is Peace. The Eastern Orthodox understand this better than Western Evangelicals perhaps: Dr Nathan Jacobs writes in his Theological Letters, “Christ has life in himself. He is incorruptible, immortal, has the life of God within him. As he enters into the things of the cosmos that are broken and twisted and dying and demonic, he dispels that darkness and brings life to the dead …” 

Jesus is the very definition of a non-anxious presence. The essence of Peace and the embodiment of Peace - in His imperishable body. So when Jesus walks into the room (through the wall?) and says “Peace be with you” (John 20:19) it is not just a word but the Word: the Word who is Peace; who emanates Peace; who gives Peace; who by His very presence is the Peace.

We might say He is the “non-anxious presence”, but that paucity of language seems to devalue the sheer power of His presence to bring a transformative change in us, in the world, even in the cosmos.

Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled

We sing the carol with laudable hope at Christmas – but our hope can only be thought possible through the presence of the Christ.

So we sing on:
Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings

The Prince of Peace has risen from the dead and in His body, His resurrected body, He brings healing in His wings. He comes to us and breathes into us His Spirit and His Peace and says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

So the charge has been given, the Holy Spirit has empowered, let us then step out into Leeds, into a world that is not worthy of a Nobel Peace prize. As children of God we go – blessed and bearing the family likeness of the One who is Peace. And going we join with Him in His mission. We become a non-anxious presence in our places, people of peace in our conversations and peace-makers in the cauldron of conflict.
 

David Flowers