In 1995, Pixar Films released Toy Story, and the main character, Buzz Lightyear, made the catchphrase, “To Infinity and Beyond!” famous. Trying to conceptualize something that is beyond “infinity” is difficult, if not impossible, for most of us. What is out there beyond infinity?

Imagine what must have been going through the minds of the disciples at the Last Supper when Jesus bid them farewell, saying that he was about to do what his Father had commanded him to do, and that he would leave them but would later return.

To help assuage the uncertainty the disciples felt, Jesus started the discourse with the famous line, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” No doubt these were words of reassurance to the disciples then and there in the locked room, just as they are words of reassurance to us here and now.

But trying to conceptualize the never-ending peace of Christ is like trying to come to grips with Buzz Lightyear and “To Infinity and Beyond!”

For most, when we think of the word “peace,” we focus on a time when there are no wars, or we think of the feeling we have when a stressful day is over and we are safe at home, relaxed, and breathe a sigh of relief. We are at peace, so to speak. And if we were asked to name a peaceful person, many might say Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, or Mother Teresa.

But the peace Christ wanted the disciples and us to focus on is so much more than personal comfort or a lack of hostilities. Christ knew the disciples would be challenged by the event to come, his agonizing death on the cross and his victory over the grave. Their hearts, like ours, would be troubled, but with the gift of peace, they would be able to rise above earthly problems.

As Christians, we must realize that this wonderful gift is part of Christ’s legacy to us. It can never be stripped from our possession, for it resides not in a house or a bank, but permeates our very heart and soul. For this was granted to us “not as the world gives” personal items to one another, but as Christ gives.

So, as we go about our all-too-busy lives, we need to pause and reflect on the gift of Christ’s peace, to help us build a stronger relationship with God. We should not only let our hearts be filled with his peace, for it is this very peace that defines and shapes us as Christians, but allow that peace to guide us in our thoughts, words and deeds.

Maybe it is best summed up in Philippians 4:7: “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”