This month of March, the month of the Bible 2026 is placed under the theme of “The Bible, source of peace”. While our world is going through strong geopolitical tensions, war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East… the question of peace is more relevant than ever. From the first pages of the Bible, peace appears as God’s intention for the world. Neil Blough, professor emeritus at the Free Faculty of Evangelical Theology of Vaux-sur-Seine, explains to us why peace is so important throughout biblical history.
We must look at the entire biblical text from beginning to end, because the Bible begins with a creation that is pronounced good by God, a creation where there is harmony, where there is everything necessary for humanity. Then, at the end, you have a new city where death, evil, disease are defeated and therefore the re-establishment of a good creation. Obviously, in the meantime, there is evil, sin which takes hold. But we must see how God copes: for it pleased God to reconcile all things through Jesus and for him, both on earth and in heaven, having established peace through the blood of his cross. We see that this notion of peace is an integral part of God’s plan for humanity.
In our current world, we see that many regions are facing an increase in violence. Specialists warn that 2026 is one of the most unstable years since the end of the Second World War. The Bible offers a particularly relevant vision in the face of current geopolitical challenges.
The biblical stories are first of all a strong call to the people of God to be faithful to his call, to live fully the peace which was provided on the cross by Christ, who shows himself as an example, notably in the Sermon on the Mount where he says “blessed are the peacemakers” and where it is a question of love of the enemy. Faced with all this violence and especially in the current context, we are called to be peacemakers. I am not saying that it is easy, but I believe that it is a call that we must hear, rather than letting ourselves get caught up in the logic of violence, of accusation, of revenge, which materializes in the fights here and there in our world.
When we look at current international tensions, we may have the feeling that peace is out of reach. Civilian populations are often the first victims: massive displacements, economic pressures, social tensions… However, this peace is possible today. Each of us can try to live it in the midst of all this violence.
If we look at history, it is filled with wars and conflicts. I think we are more aware of it because it affects Europe, which has been without war since 1945. But peace has been provided by God in Christ. It’s up to us to accept it, to integrate it into our lives, it’s up to us to show signs of it individually and in the Church. Often, the solutions to these questions are not individual but collective, through churches and associations which set up projects of welcome and compassion which show the shalom of God.
In the Bible, peace goes far beyond the idea of the absence of war. It is often translated by the word “shalom”. Beyond external circumstances, the Bible also evokes an interior peace linked to the relationship with God. How then can we find peace in a personal relationship with God, even when current events are troubling?
At the time of Christ, the “pax romana”, peace came from the military and economic strength of the Roman Empire. Shalom is used by the prophets to criticize the injustices of the people of Israel and therefore proposes a world where there is obviously peace, but a peace where there is harmony between individuals, between peoples, a peace where there is justice, well-being, which can even include health. It’s a very broad notion.
We read in the Bible what God has done in our favor in Christ, showing precisely that the way to deal with evil is not revenge. God shows that true victory over evil comes from Christ. This brings peace in the universe, in the world. We are personally invited to respond to this call to repent, enter into his reconciliation and follow Christ.
A Phare FM broadcast.
