The way of peace is the way of the Good Shepherd.
According to shepherd and author W. Phillip Keller, a flock of sheep can become unsettled and discontent because, well, they're sheep.
The sheep's dis-ease is not always the threat of a predator or other natural irritations. The flock's uneasiness is frequently attributed to the "tension, rivalry, and cruel competition within the flock itself."
Imagine that.
Sheep, like people, will vie for power and dominance within the flock. Sheep will bully, attack, ostracize, and compete with one another for status. And when these dynamics are in play, the sheep cannot find peace or contentment. If the sheep are constantly jockeying for the upper hand, the flock will not settle. "The sheep become edgy, tense, discontented, and restless. They lose weight and become irritable."
Enter the Good Shepherd. Psalm 23 teaches us that, "He makes us lie down in green pastures; He leads us beside still waters; He restores our soul."
The Good Shepherd can do this when He reasserts his presence with the sheep. When the flock is unaware of the Shepherd, mayhem ensues. When they know of the Shepherd's company, the sheep settle down and forget their in-fighting.
Lifelong shepherd W. Philip Keller says it this way:
In (my) experience, "It was the shepherd's presence that put an end to all rivalry. And in our human relationships, when we become acutely aware of being in the presence of Christ, our foolish, selfish snobbery and rivalry will end. It is the humble heart walking quietly and contentedly in the close and intimate companionship of Christ that is at rest, that can relax, simply glad to lie down and let the world go by."
Keller then brings his message home: "When my eyes are on my Master, they are not on those around me. This is the place of peace."
The place of peace, then, is any place where we are aware of the Shepherd's presence.
Look up. Look around. The Good Shepherd is right there in front of us.
*Quotes from W. Phillip Keller are from his book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.