A Passport to Peace
If you're looking for the most peaceful place on earth, pack your bags ... and maybe a good parka: You’re heading to Iceland. This Nordic wonderland of volcanoes, hot springs, and jaw-dropping landscapes has once again topped the Global Peace Index for 2025.
Not only that, but Iceland also ranks third in the World Happiness Report. That means Iceland is not only peaceful, but its people are content as well. (Maybe all those geothermal spas are onto something ...)
So what exactly are Iceland and the other top-five peace leaders — Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, and Switzerland — doing right? According to the Global Peace Index, the answer is called “Positive Peace”: societies built on attitudes, institutions, and structures that foster security and resilience. According to their report, Positive Peace is linked not only to less conflict but also to better economies, lower interest rates, and a higher collective sense of “ahhh, life is good.”
Meanwhile, the rest of the world isn’t faring quite as well. Since 2008, the average global peace score has dropped by 5.4%, and the gap between the most peaceful and least peaceful nations has widened by nearly 12%. In fact, the report notes that 2023 saw the highest number of state-based conflicts since World War II.
For the first time, Russia ranks dead last on the 2025 Global Peace Index (163rd), followed by Ukraine. The United States doesn’t score very well either, landing at #128 — below Honduras, Bangladesh, and Uganda — mostly due to our high levels of militarization. In fact, the United States is now closer on the list to North Korea than to Canada.
Other tidbits? (1) France is the most militarized in Western and Central Europe. (2) South America saw slight improvement, with Peru and Argentina leading the way. (3) And in Africa, Mauritius, Botswana, and Namibia hold the peace crowns — and also the honeymoon resorts, wildlife safaris, and adventure treks.
Friends, the world is restless. Peace is elusive. And yet Jesus said oh-so plainly in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
Theologian Thomas à Kempis once wrote, “First keep peace within yourself; then you can bring peace to others.” How can we live as instruments of peace no matter where we call home? The world needs more people who are willing to plant seeds of reconciliation and calm.
As Scripture reminds us again and again, true peace isn’t found on a map. It’s found in Christ ... and carried wherever His followers walk. How will you carry it forward this week?