In my children’s message last Sunday at the United Church of Christ at Valley Forge, I used two my-little-ponies, a piece of cord, and two pears to play out the scenario above.

The ponies (or donkeys) find a solution where they are able to stop fighting against each other and are able to both have what they need to eat.

The Hebrew word for “peace” in the Bible is shalom. Shalom is what the Hebrew Prophets and Jesus teach is God’s hope for the world. Shalom, in the words of Dr. King, “is not simply the absence of conflict, but the existence for all people,” where everyone has what they need for the opportunity to flourish in life. You can see this in our Bible readings for today, from the Prophet Isaiah (Isa. 2:1-4), and Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-56).

Imagine if one pony were much stronger than the other and was able to pull themselves to one pile of hay and push the other one away from eating from it. Imagine the weaker pony gave up trying to get past the bully to get to the hay. The two wouldn’t be fighting anymore, but this would not be shalom, because one is going hungry while the other is feasting.

In what ways can we get more of a “God’s eye view” in our conflicts and see how we and our opponents are in the same predicament?

It’s not always easy. And it’s not always likely to get win-win solutions in our tough and fallen world. But through Christ God has given us the vision and the promise of shalom. Our hope and our yearning and our enjoyment of shalom can guide us as we seek to follow the Way of Jesus.

In Faith, Pastor Nathaniel