WEDNESDAY

Proverbs 12:20

• How can living honestly bring you peace? Are there any areas of your life in which you need to be more honest? How can you show more honesty?

Recently, I took a bunch of 5th and 6th graders on a field trip to the aquarium. As we were loading the bus, I was doing a head count when I noticed a trend. As I watched dozens of students load the bus, I noticed the peace sign appeared on probably half of their backpacks.

This probably doesn’t surprise you, as the peace sign is as much of an aesthetic as it is a philosophical conviction.

“The modern peace sign was designed by Gerald Holtom for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1958. The vertical line in the center represents the flag semaphore signal for the letter D, and the downward lines on either side represent the semaphore signal for the letter N. “N” and “D”, for nuclear disarmament, enclosed in a circle.” (LINK BELOW)

In a world of nuclear threats, war, tragedy, abuse, even down to the small-scale chaos of middle school drama, social media, and science tests, “peace” can feel as hypothetical as a toddler whispering. But the Bible encourages us to promote peace–in fact, it says that “counselors of peace” will find joy. What does it look like to be a peace promoter? It has to be a little more than sporting the sign on your backpack, right? How do you pursue peace in your life? How can you spread peace to the world? Pray this week for God to make you a “counselor of peace” in your community.