The Good News of Peace by Jesus Christ

“Jesus is the Good News. ... You must know that, because the world will tell you lies.  Someone will tell you that compassion is weakness.  Jesus shows otherwise.  Someone will say that ‘empathy is a made-up … term that does a lot of damage.’  But Jesus put flesh and blood on empathy, lived and died empathy, raised up and proved its real power to save.  Some believe the myth of redemptive violence and the rhetoric of ‘holy war.’  Jesus was a victim of violence, not a perpetrator of it.  He is the Prince of Peace, so whoever sides with those who kill are on the wrong side of God’s equation.  Someone will tell you that God condemns you and hates who you are.  Don’t believe it; you can know that’s not true, because Jesus is good news.” 

“It is not God who stokes and exploits fear.  God’s message is, ‘Do not be afraid’ – we do not need to fear even death.  Jesus is God saying, ‘Look at me!  This way!  I’ll show you. I’ve got you.  Follow me.’  Believe the good news of Jesus.”

Meditation by The Rev. Valerie Coe Lowder

Sunday, April 5, 2026