Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
1 Thessalonians 1:1 NIV
Grace and Peace
In a world where most countries struggle to reduce violence and crime rate, which causes a 13.3 percent reduction in the Gross Domestic Product of the world, Canada has done remarkably well in establishing peace and safety for its citizens. According to the 2021 Global Peace Index, the country is the 10th most peaceful in the world. This is as a result of her deliberate effort to uphold the attitude which promotes peace in society.
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Think for a moment about how you greet someone you love that you haven’t seen for a while. There is always great joy and usually an expression about how good it is to see them. In his first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, Paul is greeting people in a church he, Silas, and Timothy had started a few years before. He loved these people and, while in Corinth, he received word about some issues with which the church was dealing. So, he writes a letter, and he begins with a godly blessing. 1 Thessalonians 1:1 says, “Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.” There is something beautifully simple—and deeply powerful—about the way Paul begins this letter. He doesn’t start with a long introduction or a list of impressive credentials. He starts with relationship. He begins by recognizing the people he loves and by blessing them with two words that carry the weight of heaven: grace and peace. Today, God wants to greet you the same way. Not with condemnation. Not with criticism. But with grace and peace.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley