Many of us have just seen the play, ‘This War is Not Inevitable’. And some of the most moving scenes were at the beginning and end when the World War 1 soldier tells us that they had seen the Living Christ on the battle field- they had seen the Christ walking through the trenches of both armies- and walking in the wasteland in between.

The Christ, who has His Being in Love, was recognized by the heart’s eye of those soldiers because His peace lit up in the midst of unimaginable terror, unbearable pain. He was recognized because deep peace appeared in the open wound that was the war. Because this is how we can recognize The Risen One, this is His sign, carrying wounds with peace. For Christ is never without humanities pain, Christ is never without joy-filled peace.

And we see this in our gospel today, The Risen Christ brings the peace to the disciples and at the same time is carrying wounds. 

Dear friends, just like the soldiers and the disciples we too can know Him. To know and love the Christ in us means to feel the peace that can walk with our broken hearts. To know and love Christ in others means to see in them the kind of peace that can hold and bear deep suffering. To know and love Christ means to carry wounds and deep peace at the same time.

May our wounds and the wounds of the world be penetrated with His peace.