Peace to Soothe Our Bitter Woes

Peace to soothe our bitter woes,
God in Christ on us bestows.
Jesus bought our peace with God
with his holy precious blood.
Peace in him for sinners found
is the gospel’s joyful sound.

Peace within the church still dwells
in our welcomes and farewells;
and through God’s baptismal power
peace surrounds our dying hour.
Peace be with you, full and free,
now and through eternity.

     Nikolai F. S. Grundvig 

• The culture is in chaos. Every morning some new battle against faith is launched by secular partisans. How is a Christian to have any peace?
• Secular activists almost always oppose entry into any war for any reason. They carry banners bearing the word “PEACE” and they shout that word in street demonstrations. What is the difference between the peace they claim to want and the peace we claim as followers of Christ?
• When Peter pulled out a sword to defend Jesus on the night he was arrested, Jesus made him put it away, and then Jesus healed the man Peter had attacked. Yet before the supper, Jesus had implied that the disciples might need swords. If we live in Christ’s peace, by what mandate do we defend ourselves against aggression? Is there a difference between personal self-defense and international self-defense?
• The hymnwriter refers to peace within the church and peace when facing death. How would you describe this peace, and how does possession of this peace from Christ affect the way you respond to injustice and evil in the world around you?