Angered from being taunted and hurt from others, a young gunman opens fire on a classroom full of students, killing and injuring as many as he can before ending the turmoil within by a final self-inflicted gunshot. Can he now find peace?

Voices inside his head drive a middle-aged man crazy as he fights the temptation to save his family from evil by killing them all. He longs for a mere moment of peace from his inner turmoil.

A man, a woman, a teenager slosh down another beer, by now feeling no pain. If only the alcohol could permanently dull the pain of the past. If only alcohol could mend a broken heart; put back the shattered pieces of their life. But when each sobers up, the pain will still be there.

Another wakes up long before the alarm clock, dreading another day of conflict, another day when peace will elude them, another day when peace is just out of reach.

How we long for peace! Peace with myself. Peace with my past. Peace with my family. Peace with God.

We will go to the enth degree seeking peace in our out-of-control life; peace from the conflict of our soul.

God never intended us to live in conflict and turmoil. He intended us to live at peace with ourselves; at peace with others; at peace with God

The root of our lack of peace is sin. Sins committed against us. Sins we ourselves have committed. Don’t let the sin talk turn you off. Hear me out! Sin is a real problem and the root of our suffering and turmoil. But God has the answer to our search for peace. It starts with the answer to the sin problem.

Jesus died for our sin. The biblical truth is that our sin brings about death and destruction: destruction of relationships; it destroys our hope for any relationship with God. Sin robs us from any kind of peace with ourselves or peace with God. It is destructive and results in eternal separation from God and heaven.

But God has brought forth the answer to our search for peace. He started with the answer to the sin problem. Jesus died the death that our sins deserve. Jesus died on the cross and took on Himself the consequences of our sin. Because of that, Jesus wants to forgive us of all our sin we have ever committed. He doesn’t force forgiveness on us. But He gives it willingly to all who seek it and all who seek Him.

Jesus forgives our sins and cleanses our sins from our lives. He removes the root cause of our lack of peace. That’s a critical step. He replaces our burden of guilt with newfound freedom and peace. He replaces our hatred and anger with calm and love and He gives us a forgiving heart.

This is not “pie-in-the-sky” fairy tale stuff. This is real. I know because I found God’s peace in Jesus Christ. I know because I have heard countless stories of people witnessing to the same peace they have found through Jesus Christ. There is nothing to compare to the value of what Jesus can do for you.

Jesus said, “My 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. Do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Turn to God in prayer. Ask Him for these things. He hears your prayer, your cries to Him. Find one of the many people in our community who have found God’s peace and they can help you find it too. Don’t despair. There is hope!

Dan Wiese is the pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in John Day.