Peace is not a matter of temperament

Some people react with calm almost spontaneously; others feel with great intensity and respond quickly. Temperament certainly has an influence, but Christian peace does not belong only to those who were born serene. Bringing peace requires ordering your reaction, upholding a truth without aggression, and not dumping your own inner disorder onto others. An intense person can learn this; a quiet person, on the other hand, can seem calm while accumulating resentment or avoiding any difficult conversation. Peace is recognized by its fruits: clarity, firmness, the ability to listen, and the desire to reconcile. It is neither the absence of conflict nor a low volume. It is a way of being in reality without unnecessarily increasing the violence it already contains.