Are You a Peacemaker?
Good Morning,
Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9:
It’s election season again in the United States and people are choosing sides. We have a great privilege in this country to participate in this process. But the vitriol I see expressed on television and social media for people who don’t think like we do is disheartening. As Christ-followers we are called to a higher standard.
The verse above, from a section of Scripture referred to as the Beatitudes, lays out a different approach. Notice the verse doesn’t say “Blessed are those who are right.” Or, “Blessed are those who avoid all conflict.” Rather, we are instructed to seek peace. The Hebrew context is “seeking man’s highest good”.
Peace does not mean complete agreement. Nor does it mean appeasement to avoid conflict. Conflict is not always bad. The way we handle conflict determines that. At their core the Beatitudes all involve issues of the heart. Humility, submission and surrender are required. Being a peacemaker is an active thing. Doing things like spreading peace not strife. Seeking unity not highlighting division. Turning the other cheek, or deciding not to respond to an insult, even if justified.
Bible commentator William Barclay offers three suggestions for being a peacemaker.
- Speak less: James 1:19 says, “Be quick to listen and slow to speak.” Guard your words carefully and use them frugally.
- Think You not Me: There is a distinct absence of the pronoun “I” in the Beatitudes. The focus is on others.
- Make peace don’t wait for peace: We should actively seek reconciliation and harmony not wait for it to magically come. Look for ways to build bridges not create gaps.
The peace which the Bible calls blessed does not come from the evasion of issues; it comes from facing them, dealing with them, and conquering them. What this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things because we are afraid of the trouble of doing anything about them, but the active facing of things, and the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle. - William Barclay
Live this week on purpose and seek peace,
Ron Klopfenstein
