Give Peace More Than a Chance
John Lennon—my favorite of the Beatles—sang a song almost fifty years ago, a counter-cultural
anthem, “Give Peace a Chance.” Even at a surface listen, you can tell that the song offers an
admonition to consider alternatives to war and ego-driven conflict.
Saint Paul in his letter to the Colossians, would probably push the imperative of “peace” farther
and assert that working toward peace deserves even more priority in our lives, something beyond
merely giving it a “chance.” I certainly like John Lennon’s intent, but Paul told the Colossian
church to “let the peace of Christ rule or ‘umpire’ in your heart, since as members of Christ’s
body, you’ve been called to peace” (3:15 NIV).
Peace, as a “fruit of the Spirit” is not a random euphoria, but as a state of mind, it is an attitude of
conscience cultivated and protected.
Let me explain.
First, “peace” in the sense that the Apostle Paul uses it in Colossians is the result of an active and
healthy conscience. “Active” in that the work and grace of regular self-examination should be a
priority in our daily lives.
“Bill W” the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous and creator of the “Twelve Steps” program
noted the centrality of an active and healthy conscience. He asserted that
“the wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching
(self-examination) has become a regular habit, until he is able to admit and accept what
he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong.
“The peace of Christ” experientially is the result of regularly taking inventory, with peace or lack
thereof, as an “umpire.”
Peace as an “umpire” in your heart alerts you when your word or deed is not consistent with the
gracious and merciful calling of God to be his image-bearers. The “umpire” or “ruler” of your
heart will inform the conscience of your injustice, lack of love, or unkindly manner and result in
a lessened sense of peace. Sometimes this is experienced as a “guilty” conscience. It’s the
“umpire of your heart,” the ruler of your conscience saying “Something is not right.”
A quick word about the experience of a “guilty conscience.” Sometimes we’re led to believe that
a guilty conscience is an unhealthy phenomenon. And certainly, at times, it can be. If the
“umpire of your heart” is not tied to specific unloving words or actions, but more to a re-cycled
parental voice telling you you’ll never measure up, never be good enough, strong enough,
attractive enough, significant enough—that’s not the “peace of Christ present as an umpire.”
That’s the bludgeoner of your soul acting as an executioner. In this case, it is good to remember
regularly Saint Paul’s word to the Roman Christians, chapter 8, verse one, “There is therefore no
condemnation for those who are in Christ.” (NIV)
However, to experience a “guilty conscience” or a “lack of peace” over something you’ve doneor said is a sign that you’re still morally alive, that your conscience has not been “severed,” that
the peace of Christ is still active as an “umpire” in your conscience—shall I say, a spiritual
barometer of health and relational well-being. Umpires of the heart, like umpires in any sport,
make rulings that, if ignored, turn the garden of God (our lives) into a tangled mess.
“Let the peace of Christ umpire in your heart!”
Paul D. Patton, Ph.D., is a professor of communication and theater at Spring Arbor University in
Michigan. He has graduate degrees in Guidance and Counseling, Religious Education, and Script and
Screenwriting, and a doctorate in Communication with an emphasis in theater arts. He has been married
to his wife Beth for over forty years and has three daughters (all actresses)—Jessica, Emily, and Grace,
three sons-in-law, David, Joe, and Eric, and four grandsons, Caleb Rock, Logan Justice, Micah Blaze, and
Miles Dean.