“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27 (NAB)
The “Prince of Peace”, is one of many titles in the book of Isaiah, referring to Jesus, who made it clear that His peace is not the kind of peace this world offers. The peace Jesus gives us may not always change the situation we are praying about, but it will change us, because it’s the kind of peace that “surpasses all human understanding.”(Philippians 4:7)
While we continue to do our best as peacemakers, to care for the weak, for the least among us, and to stand against injustice, Jesus was trying to tell us in today’s scripture that His peace is not the kind the world offers. It’s a peace that transforms a human being, from within and changes the world, one heart at a time. For centuries, His peace has brought comfort to the poor in spirit, and victims of war, tragedy, suffering and injustice.
There have always been godly believers and heroes of the faith, beginning with the early church in the book of Acts, and it continues through to today. People have found His peace in the valley of the shadow of death, or random moments of danger, and have survived to tell their stories and give glory to God.
I know of one such story, about a young female rookie pilot, who was taking off in a small plane one day, in Pontiac, Michigan. It was only her third solo flight, and after she took off, a veteran pilot noticed that her front landing gear fell off. He immediately contacted her by radio to tell her what happened.
With a calm, confident voice, and years of skill, he guided her step by step to make a safe landing, even without landing gear. She was shaken up but followed his instructions, listening to his calm, confident voice as he guided her to a safe and successful landing. If she had tried to land the plane on her own, it could have flipped upside down and burst into flames.
Having a veteran pilot there at the perfect time, to guide and help her stay at peace, was a miracle. Peace comes from God, and His Spirit was speaking through that veteran pilot on her radio. Jesus also speaks to our hearts as we tune in to Him. He might speak to us in prayer, or through a certain scripture, or through people that He sends to us at the perfect time. There is an unseen kingdom of Heaven within all of us who believe, and the ruling Prince of that kingdom is Jesus.
He is not only the Prince of peace, but our veteran Pilot who can identify with every type of stress or problem that we have, since He lived a human life and went through the same struggles. He connects to our spirit and speaks to our heart, guiding us through every crisis with a calm, confident voice.
It’s easy to forget that His Spirit dwells within us, whether we are on a plane, having a medical procedure, or at the bedside of a critically ill friend or loved one. Jesus is always with us and in us, no matter what is happening around us.
A few years ago, I was visiting a friend who had Pancreatic cancer. Her husband died of a cardiac arrest three weeks earlier. They had no children and her cancer advanced so that she was placed in hospice. We were friends for over fifty years, and her hospice nurse called to tell me that she became unresponsive, so I was hoping to get there before she passed away.
As I arrived to her room, I reached for the door handle and said to myself, “Here comes the Prince of Peace”, believing that the Spirit of Jesus was entering the room with me. I went to her bedside, took hold of her hand, and she immediately opened her eyes and looked at me. She couldn’t speak, but there was no doubt in her eyes that she knew who I was. I was surprised, since the nurse told me she would not respond, but I was thankful to get there in time.
I spoke to her about the Prince of peace, and then prayed for her. Two days later she passed away, but I trust that God gave her His peace in that transitional moment. I often wondered if she saw Jesus at her bedside, but I trust that she did.
Jesus is the veteran pilot, who speaks to our soul and quiets our fears in the chaotic moments of life. His calming voice can help a pilot land a plane without landing gear and His Presence can bring peace to any human soul before breathing their last breath.
In some sense, we are all like rookie pilots, navigating through life. It may feel like we’re flying solo at times, but the Prince of Peace is always with us, speaking to us and guiding us with a confident, calm voice, leading us to a safe landing through any crisis that we face. If we tune our ears in to listen, His voice is speaking to our heart every day, offering us His peace, which the world cannot give or take away.
Lord, thank you for being our veteran pilot, and help us tune in to hear your voice of peace above all the chaos of this world. Amen
