Many of us will remember the “peace era,” the 1960s. There were peace protests, peace symbols, peace T-shirts, the word “peace” emblazoned wherever we turned. The happy go-along with peace was love. We heard such songs as “All you need is love,” and music seemed to intertwine peace and love. For some, merely speaking, singing, writing or printing the words “peace” and “love” would make those realities happen.

Some even believed that the Gospel could be replaced with the peace and love movement. Peace and love definitely stand out in the Gospel message, but the scriptural uses of those terms differ. Often, we believe that peace means no war, and love means no hate. In a nutshell, when we hear peace and love in scripture, those words do not suggest a mere lack of war and hate, but, rather, they tell us to act to bring peace and love. Jesus never said, in building peace and in loving our neighbor, that we would get warm, fuzzy feelings of good will and cheer. Rather, in Jesus speak, peace and love result from actions not wishes.

Jesus tells his disciples that they must bring peace to those whom they encounter. In his words, “Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’”

The scriptures speak of peace with four different meanings. One use of the word peace is in the military sense, a lack of war, peace among nations. Scripture also speaks of peace in a personal sense, a feeling of personal well-being, being at peace with ourselves. Then, there is the religious sense of peace indicating a right relationship with God, being at peace with God. Finally, there is Jesus’ use of the word promoting our peace with God, neighbor, and oneself.

Later in Mass, at the sign of peace, when we speak of the peace of Christ, when we extend to others the peace of Christ, we are wishing that the other person be at peace with God, his neighbor, and himself.

In the Our Father, we pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.” Let me ask a question. It may sound stupid, bold or even arrogant. Do you really want God’s kingdom to come? Do you really want God’s will to be done? Do you really want God’s peace to rule on the earth? You see the phrases “thy kingdom come… thy will be done” leave out the doer of these actions. Thy kingdom come and thy will be done can happen only with our actions, our deeds, our moving forward. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done are human activities not wishful thoughts.

If we cave in to moral relativism, God’s will will never happen, and the kingdom will fall apart. Moral relativism removes objective moral values and truths. The moral relativist defines morality from within the person without a link to an objective moral value or belief. When the results of moral relativism become enacted in laws and public policies, then “thy kingdom come” and “thy will be done” have been replaced with “someone else’s kingdom come” and “someone else’s will be done.”

This week we justifiably celebrated our American heritage with pride and dignity. We celebrate our freedom, our justice, our melting pot heritage, our ability to respond to national challenges. In celebrating our peace and love found in our country, we should never forget that “In God we trust” is more than a slogan.

Jesus was very clear that his disciples had to bring peace and love to the world, but he also said that his peace and love are not as the world gives them. The peace and love of Jesus are values based on God’s will and God’s law. They are not values based on human will and human law. God’s peace and love can only come from God’s law and God’s will as lived and practiced by his disciples.

If we want to continue having peace and love in our world, then these words must come alive and radiate at all times: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.