I was diving in Cuba recently and spent some time in the Cuban city of Santa Clara. As I walked about the city I noticed a few things: the impact of the American trade embargo was obvious with empty store shelves and very little choice in the market stalls; only a handful of tourists were seen in this interior city as the majority of visitors are enjoying the sparkling sandy beaches of Varadero; Indian and Chinese taxi tricycles abounded as the popular choice for getting around town; most importantly the people seemed happy as parents and children played in the town squares.
In recent weeks Cuban news has highlighted the arrival of Russian warships to the port of Havana (in smaller print a Canadian frigate also arrived to port by special invitation of the Cuban government!). For the average citizen such events creates a bit of military fanfare, but the deeper desire of the people is always for peace. Warships arriving to port are fun to see, but the desire for peace eclipses frigates every time! Jesus understands this when he encourages his disciples saying,
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (JN 14:27).
Martin Luther King Jr. elaborated on Jesus’ compassionate gift of shalom when he proclaimed,
One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.
Peace is what we really want. Not a parade of military hardware whether they be destroyers, tanks, or fighting jets. As the prophet from Georgia adjures, may we pursue peace in our daily decisions, choices, and actions whether we’re walking the streets of Toronto, New York, or Santa Clara.