In good ol' American English, we use the word 'peace' to mean the absence of war or conflict. But if we think about peace a little, we have the opportunity to do better than that. There is another peace that Christ talked about when he said, "Peace I give you. My Peace I leave with you. Not as the world gives..."
The peace of Christ, the higher peace that we can reach for is often called Shalom. It is the active, living presence of everything that God calls good, not just the absence of conflict. It's true enough that conflict and war cannot exist in the presence of Shalom, but Shalom is much more. Shalom is an atmosphere or context of well being, blessing, cooperation, unity and mutual (even universal) benefit, respect and prosperity. Perhaps the best single word in English to describe Shalom is 'Teamwork'.
Culturally and socially, we need a justice system to decide guilt and innocence, set and enforce punishment, and through the very real threat of punishment 'keep the peace'. But this is not the concept of Shalom.
Shalom can only be realized through mercy, forgiveness and compassion. Only by viewing the world from each others' eyes with a bias to help, encourage and build up each other can Shalom take root and grow in our culture and day to day activities of society. Only mercy can create Shalom. And only in the context of Shalom can society, culture and each of us individually be all that God created and called us to be.
This, BTW, is Church's single biggest failure. In its passion to stand for some great good or stand against some terrible evil, the church has totally abandoned Shalom. The average Christian thinks Shalom is a Jewish greeting, or Muslim terrorist word. We haven't just forgotten the word, we've abandoned the concept. And in so doing, we cause the rest of the world to think we have nothing to offer except hate. But I digress.
The rest of Jesus' quote from the first paragraph is, "...in the world you will have tribulation (constant, turbulent conflict). But fear not, for I have overcome the world."
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. (Col 3:12-14)"Lord, teach your people once again what Shalom is, how to walk in it and how to infect those around us with it. "