Peace is not the product of terror or fear.
Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.
Peace is not the result of violent repression.
Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all.
Peace is dynamism.
Peace is generosity.
It is right and duty.
Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador
As a fruit of the spirit, peace does not equate to peace as a political condition noted by a lack of war.
Peace and serenity are not always the same thing.
Peace is a sense of rightness about one’s place in the fabric of life.
For some the constant activity of fighting for justice is their peace. They cannot find peace without involvement in the work of justice.
For some the offering of hospitality is their peace. It is their willing contribution to life in general. They cannot feel at peace when others are feeling socially awkward.
For some physical labor is their peace. They feel at peace in their spirit when their body is working vigorously.
There is no one more at peace, if it is defined as care free, than a patient on the mend in a hospital. Ask them what they would rather be doing, and you will discover where they feel they fit, where they find their spiritual peace in life. It is probably not going to be lying in bed, being served constantly. It is more likely to be about being up and active.
Peace is listed as fruit of the spirit, but it is not only something felt in the spirit. It is an experience and a state of being that includes the totality of what we are as individuals and as human society.