Goodbye, Aunt Elaine

My Aunt Elaine recently passed away. She was a vibrant, energetic woman, with a lifetime passion for peace. She wore bright colors, laughed with abandon, asked pointed questions and obsessively sketched people, and lived life with zest. She loved to share her interests with people -- whether it was a matter of tofu, or chelation therapy, or erotic art, she couldn't grasp that some people simply had different tastes. Whenever I think of her I still feel like protesting "just because I eat beef and work for a bank does not make me a bad person!" But her overriding theme was working for peace. She boldly went all over the world to advocate for peace.

So in honor of Elaine, I want to talk about peace.

In spite of all the wars that have been fought in the name of religion, God is actually for peace.
The Bible talks a lot about peace. But this peace is more than just an absence of war, it also encompasses the presence of God's kingdom. Isaiah says:

52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who
proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"

Earlier, Isaiah gave us a description of what this will look like:

2:2 In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as
chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all
nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us
go up to the mountain of the LORD , to the house of the God of Jacob. He
will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go
out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between
the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their
swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not
take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

5 Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD .

I believe that in spite of the efforts of activists such as my aunt, that the only true and lasting peace will come when the Lord rules and reigns in our hearts, and upon the earth.

So my way of honoring her will be to work for peace in my own way. To tell people about the peace that God brings. To introduce them to Jesus, because Ephesians tells us that

2:17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who
were near.

So I'll end with the words of Paul, writing to the Romans:

15:33The God of peace be with you all. Amen.