Flourishing Together: Rooted in Peace, Growing in Justice

A couple of months ago I started what I call my “plant era.” I’ve been learning how to take care of plants; from the moment they’re just little seeds all the way until they bloom. I even went for it and tried planting some lotus flowers. Honestly, most of the time I haven’t had the success I hoped for. A lot of my plants have died, and I’ve had to really stop and learn from my mistakes, figuring out what’s best for them, even when it’s uncomfortable or a lot of work for me.

And I started this new “plant era” because flourishing is one of my favorite things to see in nature. It amazes me how God has such perfect order and such a beautiful dream for all His creation, including us. So when I was invited to speak at Trinity United Methodist Church in my beloved community of Lenoir City, Tennessee for Peace with Justice Sunday, I began asking myself: What does it really mean to live out peace with justice? As I prayed, meditate and studied, an image came to mind, an oasis with a tree planted by living water, I’m from the tropics, so in my mind I picture a palm tree. A tree with deep roots in God’s peace, growing strong and healthy, and bearing the fruit of justice for everyone around it. I pictured a strong community that rises as one from their roots bringing justice and new life to broken systems, not as isolated individuals but as the branches of one living tree. That’s the kind of community I believe God invites us to become: rooted in peace, growing in justice, and flourishing together.

When we are rooted in Peace it means we live SHALOM, shalom means peace but is not just the absence of conflict, it means wholeness, harmony, and right relationships with God, our selves, others and creation, it also means well-being.

Peace is not possible without justice.

Peace is more than silence, than being “nice” or getting along, peace gives rest and hope to our souls.

And Peace is not possible without justice. Justice is what happens when peace takes root and grows, like a palm tree. Justice means making things right, not just about following rules or making laws, but about caring for people and doing what is right.

Justice it’s not about punishment, it’s about restoration. About making sure everyone is seen, heard, and valued. That’s why justice is so important. Over and over in Scripture, we hear God’s heart for the poor, the marginalized, the widow, the orphan, the stranger.

Amos 5:24 says “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” 

When we grow in justice treating people with love, fairness and respect, we make room for others to flourish too, opening the door for others to find healing, hope, and opportunity. We make it easier for them to thrive, just like we hope to thrive.

Jesus didn’t come to make people comfortable by asking them to be just nice, He came to set captives free, to lift the poor, to break cycles of violence.

When we grow in justice treating people with love, fairness and respect, we make room for others to flourish too.

We can see this clearly in Luke 4 (NIV), when Jesus reads from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue. After reading what verses 18 and 19 says:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
    and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

After this He boldly declares: “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

So when a child goes to school hungry, that’s not peace. When a family works two or more jobs and still cannot afford rent or basic needs, that’s not peace. When immigrants live in fear or communities feel forgotten, that’s not peace.

The church, the community of faith, should not just be a building but an Oasis full of palm trees rooted in peace and growing in justice, the place where neighbors are seen, heard, and cared for. That’s our call brothers and sisters, hermanos y hermanas.

And that kind of Oasis looks like opening our doors to young people, the marginalized, the orphan and the widow needing a safe space without judgment or conditions. It looks like sharing meals with the hungry, praying with the lonely, start a community closet for families in need. It looks like advocating for fair housing, education, and safety for all God’s creation.

We, the church maybe won’t fix the whole world, but we can be an oasis in our communities.

Because we Are the Peacemakers 

Jesus said in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” He didn’t say peacekeepers. Peacekeepers are those who just avoid trouble by keeping the world surrounding them calm as is, avoiding important conversations for the sake of keeping their peace and often sacrificing their own feelings to keep things calm. Jesus said peacemakers, those who intentionally build bridges, restore brokenness, and step into hard places with love.

The world is longing for places where justice, love, care and compassion flow.

Jesus calls us children of God when we choose this work. Not when we stay silent. Not when we stay safe. It’s not easy. It takes courage. It takes faith.
But hermanos y hermanas, brothers and sisters, the world is longing for places where justice, love, care and compassion flow.

We are the peace makers:

Peacekeeper	Peacemaker
Tries to avoid conflict	Is willing to enter conflict to bring healing
Wants quiet and calm, even if problems stay hidden	Wants real peace, even if it means having hard conversations
Often says, “Let’s just move on”	Often says, “Let’s talk and make things right”
Keeps peace as it is	Creates peace that is fair and just
Focuses on keeping people “Nice” and comfortable	Focuses on helping people heal and grow

God doesn’t want us to flourish alone. He planted us as a community so that we can grow togetherencouraging one another, lifting each other up, sharing resources, and building bridges.

The Trinity United Methodist Church in Lenoir City, TN, has been that kind of place for me, open arms, open doors, open hearts. From advocacy to outreach, from prayer groups to community closet, this is a place where peace and justice have hands and feet. But they’re not done yet. We still have more peace to plant and more justice to grow, and the only way to do it is together.

“Blessed are the peacemakers”

Because when God blesses us with peace, love, or healing, it’s not only to make us individually feel good or safe, but We are also called to share that blessing. God wants us to become people who bring peace, love, and healing to those around us, to this community: Rooted in peace, growing in justice, and flourishing together.