It's true that no matter how much peace we can find within ourselves, we can't make our external world reflect what we feel within. Yet, we can become the representatives of a way of living in the world and of responding to it that allows us to be at peace with it, and that others could learn from and emulate. If someday we were to all learn how to live in such peace with the world and with the people around us, the "kingdom" of God's love, forgiveness, and peace would become manifest as our living reality, just as Jesus promissed.
And what are the other options, anyway?
Do we establish peace within that tiny bit of the world that we occupy, and then use the force of violence against anyone who dares to upset this tiny peaceful bit of the world that we have established? This is what many of us do, I think. This is what our government tries to do, too, I think. But isn't the end result of such a position really more strife, more competition for the weapons of power and force so as to protect our personal peace? And doesn't this all in the end just add to the sum of violence in the world even if it does protect us individually?
In the end, Jesus' way is the only way that makes any sense. The only way to add to the sum of world peace is to be willing to remain peaceful even in the face of agression, chaos, and violence. But few of us are really able to do this. And I'm not going to pretend that I could do it, either. But on the other hand, I'm also not going to pretend that Jesus was wrong, just because I personally don't have the courage or wisdom to follow his lead, and neither am I going to pretend that Jesus was not a pacifist just because I'm unable to be one, too. Which is what I see a LOT of Christians doing these days.
I'm not going to pretend that Jesus was some holy "Rambo" just because I don't have the courage or the faith to be the sacrificial pacifist that he was. And I'm not going to lie about his message just because I can't live up to his example. If we can't take up Jesus' challenge to be the princes of peace even in a world of sin and chaos then we ought to at least be honest enough to admit our failure and admire those men who could.
