When we hear the words of pardon from God's word, we are reminded that God has accepted us as daughters and sons. “Friends, believe the Good News, that in Jesus Christ we are forgiven!” Through the sacrifice of Christ, God has made peace with us, and now, as forgiven and reconciled people, God sends us out to be peacemakers in the world. We begin our work of making peace by starting with one another - by sharing God's love, renewing our fellowship, and seeking forgiveness for any wrong done to each other. This creates a bond between us as forgiven and reconciled people. The peace is a symbol for the ministry of peacemaking to which we are called in God's world. Christians are not perfect. We are all works in progress, and we are still prone to hurt one another. We need a lot of practice at forgiving and reconciling. Passing the peace is part of this distinctly Christian way of living.

What is the "passing of the peace"?