When Julius Caesar assumed absolute power in the Roman Republic, he was very careful not to call himself a king. The Romans were very anti-king so Julius took for himself the title of Princeps, from which our word Prince comes and which means first among equals. One of the titles of Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. I think it’s important that He is the Prince of Peace and not the King or Lord of Peace. For true peace to begin, there must be someone who is willing to act as first among equals. Not first in the sense of being number one or of top priority, but rather first in the sense of being the one to take the first step toward peace. Someone has to be the first to admit that they were wrong and apologize. Someone has to be the first one to choose to not take offense. Someone has to be the first one to forgive and forget. And as important as it is to be the first one to act, it is also important to remember that we are the first among equals. We are all equally blind and foolish and weak. We all have to acknowledge that all of us have been hurt, and all of us have hurt others. We may be convinced that this time we are one hundred percent in the right, and they are one hundred percent in the wrong, and the only way for us to have peace is if we can compel them by force to accept that we are right and they are wrong. That is not the behavior of a Prince, of the first among equals. Every time we set aside our pride and let go of our desire to be right or to get even, every time we choose to be the first one to make peace out of a broken situation, we are following the example of the Prince of Peace. I know that there is always an opportunity for us to act first and to be the bigger person. I hope we can all strive continuously to be the first among equals and be Princes and Princesses of Peace. Even as our Savior Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.
