Peace in Many Languages
by Dean Koldenhoven

 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
   Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
   triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
   on a colt, the foal of a donkey
10 He* will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
   and the warhorse from Jerusalem;
and the battle-bow shall be cut off,
   and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
   and from the River to the ends of the earth.

~ Jeremiah 9:9-10

There are many ways to attain peace! I've taken to small peace-building acts right here in my hometown. Brick by brick, it's my hope that I'm helping to build the kind of peace-filled kingdom that our mighty savior came to announce.
 
Each time I meet a Muslim I try bring a smile to their face when I greet them -- in a grocery store or anywhere -- with an Arabic greeting, “Asalaam 'Alaykum” (May Peace be upon you). They in turn say, “Wa `Alaykum as-Salaam” (And upon you be peace!).
 
I can tell that my greeting sometimes surprises them, because I know I don’t look Arabic, with my blond hair and blue eyes, and most Muslims in my neighborhood don’t look like me!
 
I receive the same smiles when I talk with Spanish-speaking people and leave a conversation with, “Adios, y vaya con Dios” (Good bye, and go with God!). They smile and say, “Gracias y igualmente” (Thanks and the same to you).
 
The postmaster in our town is Jewish, and at one time we discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He knows that I am friendly with Muslims – everyone in my town does. I listened to his thoughts on the debate, and in the end, we agreed to disagree. But I left him with saying, “Shalom!” Now, every time we meet, the greeting is “Shalom,” with both of us smiling!
 
I have been invited as the guest of honor at the Muslim-American Society Convention in Chicago the day after Christmas. The theme of the convention, to my delight, is “Love God, Love your Neighbor.” That will be the inspiration for my talk that day. Imagine, Muslims using the words of Jesus for their convention theme! I love it!
 
As we wait in expectation for our coming Messiah -- the one who makes good on the promise that peace will reign -- I believe that dialogue with our “neighbor” is the best first step.

Prayer
God, forgive us for the walls of separation we have helped to construct between people, all of whom you love. We know these walls exist around the world, but that they're strengthened every day in our own communities. You call us to love our neighbor -- regardless of the cost -- and give us an example of how to do that by becoming a human being yourself. Empower us to follow example of neighboring, and by doing so may we be peacemakers. Amen.

Pursue Peace
Baby steps, like learning to greet your neighbors, are the first moves we can make as peace makers. But there is more we can do! Follow your Asalaam 'Alaykum with supporting CRWRC's work through missionaries like Zakka Chomock who are encouraging reconciliation between Christians and Muslims. Your vaya con Dios might be supplemented by speaking out in favor of immigration reform. And your Shalom could be accompanied by your engagement with Middle East peacebuilding -- perhaps even joining a learning tour this spring.