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Key Bible Verse: 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 and do not be afraid. (John 14:27, NIV).

Bonus Readings: Psalm 18; Romans 8:31; Philippians 4:7

In The Shawshank Redemption, Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding (Morgan Freeman) tells the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins)—a young, successful banker who is wrongly convicted of murdering his wife in 1947 and sentenced to two consecutive life prison terms at Shawshank Prison. Andy endures confinement year after year while maintaining hope for freedom.

Red is a hardened but somewhat repentant convict resigned to spending the rest of his natural life behind the gray prison walls. When Red first sees Andy arrive at Shawshank, he takes an immediate disliking to the tall, slender banker. According to Red, Andy looks weak, "like a stiff breeze would blow him over." In fact, Red gambles that Andy will be the first of the new prisoners to break down. Surprisingly, Andy survives his first tormented night at Shawshank with his sanity intact, and not long after, he meets Red in the prison yard for the first time.

As Andy strolls away from his conversation with Red, he stoops to collect a pebble from the dusty prison grounds. Red reflects in a voiceover:

"I can see why some of the boys took him for snobby. He had a quiet way about him: a walk and a talk that just wasn't normal around here. He strolled like a man in the park, without a care or a worry in the world. Like he had on an invisible coat that would shield him from this place."

Although most of us haven't been imprisoned unjustly, many of us have felt that life isn't fair. In those moments, there is a way we can live like Andy Dufresne—an innocent man placed in difficult circumstances, shielded by a mysterious peace. God can be our peace, our invisible coat, shielding us from trouble.

How can we find that peace? In John 14, Jesus tells us he will freely give us his peace. He says it is different than the world's peace, which is always temporary and dependent on circumstances. The peace Jesus gives us transcends this world, helping us to live as he did—full of grace and strength even when being horribly mistreated.

Just as Andy caused the other prisoners to wonder at his manner, Jesus amazed those who witnessed his torture and crucifixion, because he showed peace and kindness throughout. This was more powerful to those who observed it than if he'd called angels to strike those who were mistreating him. Peace is always more powerful than force.

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