And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:17–22 (RSV)
Peace is more than the absence of strife. One can live in a land that has not heard a shot fired in anger for generations, yet be without peace. In truth, it is a simple matter to be without strife if that is all that is needed for peace.
The human heart has not been at peace since our First Parents tasted the fruit in the Garden. Our lips may not have tasted the fruit. Its bitterness is still very much in our souls. Count the number of people with whom you could spend a week, a weekend, or a day. Of those you could, how long before you needed some time away from one another?
How long can we stand being by ourselves without the distraction of someone, the internet, or a book, anything to distract us from disquieting within? It has been suggested that hell might not be a lake of burning sulfur. Hell may very well be spending eternity alone with ourselves.
So much of the world's sorrows come from the absence of peace within human hearts. It is into this tormented realm that Jesus comes. He comes proclaiming peace to all. He becomes our peace as He takes all our sin, suffering, and sorrow into Himself.
The peace of the world will be elusive as we are broken and distorted beings. Sin will ever deny us earthly peace. Jesus brings us the peace of God, the peace that passes all understanding.