The Peace We Can’t Reach

Propelled by George Floyd's murder in her hometown of Minneapolis, Meg Gorzycki addresses the question of why peace is difficult to cultivate and sustain, and finds that America has always had a love-hate relationship with peace. The Peace We Can't Reach posits that peace is more than the absence of war and aggression, and in its most profound sense is shalom, the commitment to live for the well-being of all so that compassion and justice might prevail. Exploring shalom from the perspective of war, police brutality, mass shootings, and economic injustice, this book offers evidence that neither democracy nor Christianity as Americans have known them are capable of achieving peace. It asserts that the keys to peace are personal and social narratives that give people a sense of identity and their highest purpose, and concludes that gaining control over these narratives is vital to shalom.