Thursday, December 11, 2025

Powerful Peace

By JanElle Hoffman

"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility" Ephesians 2:14

I was a senior in high school when the wall came down. 

Separating East and West Germany, the Berlin Wall had been the symbol of the Cold War that had loomed large over the last half of the 20th century. With the crumbling of that wall, Germany was reunited and the grip that the USSR had on the region began to weaken until its dissolution in 1991. 

It was a new day when the wall came down; a new era. A momentous coming together as this dividing stretch of tower became rubble. I can imagine the joy of people once separated now able to come together.

There is another dividing wall that came down. This one was flattened 2000 years ago. It wasn’t a feat of political maneuvering or demolition. Through Jesus' death and resurrection the barrier - sin - that kept us from the Father was pulverized. The wall is down and now we can be reconciled to God..

Because of Jesus. 

He makes the two as one. He brings wholeness. He is our peace.

Usually we think of peace as quiet, gentle, soothing. But peace is also powerful, even noisy and messy as it tears down lies, fears, obstacles. The end result is reconciliation, completeness.

Where is there a wall in your life that needs to come down? Will you let Jesus be the powerful peace you need?