We Need Peacemakers
Are you one?
This is a note primarily to Christians. Everyone is invited to take the challenge, but it is almost beyond our normal human abilities. Those already committed to walk in the footsteps of Jesus have a specific role here, and those empowered by the new birth He offers will have increased capacity to pursue it. But all are invited!
One result of the recent elections is a rapid change of direction, to say the least. Many dramatic adjustments are being carried out with a sense of urgency. That is very welcome to many and infuriating to others. Both the changes of direction and the pace of those changes are intensifying emotional disruption across our political divide.
As the tsunami of change sweeps through the government and out into every aspect of our lives, disruptions will continue, and our lives will change in many ways. Hopefully individual freedoms will increase, as government is downsized, but with incremental, restored freedoms will come increased, restored, unexpected and perhaps unwanted responsibilities.
Lots of changes. And with those will often come frustration, anger, confusion, and deeper divisions among us.
We need peacemakers. Are you one?
When Jesus explained to the crowds following Him how the Kingdom of God works, 1 He said many things that must have shaken the prior assumptions of everyone listening. He focused on the heart instead of outward actions, and called us to much higher levels of righteousness than had previously been defined.
One of the principles He set forth was, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” 2
That invitation was given to thousands of listeners, including shopkeepers, soldiers, priests, fishermen, men and women, Greeks and Jews, everyone. Later, with His disciples, He leaned heavily into the theme of unity, and the writers of the New Testament stressed it as well as they taught new churches across the Mediterranean world.
Those who walk with God were especially to be united, period. Independently of all their different cultures, beliefs, habits, ideologies, nationalities, and preferences on many subjects. But as He stood on that mountain speaking to the crowds, the declaration of God’s pleasure with peacemakers was for everyone.
So for us, with our deeply divided political scene, as Christians we are called, instructed, required, to walk in our heavenly calling to be peacemakers, in addition to our earthly citizenship responsibilities. We live in both kingdoms, and have roles to play in each.
Being peacemakers is a heavenly call, across all political and ideological lines.
The current waves of change, and the reactions to them, are likely to continue impacting the world from now on. For decades at least, if the Republic endures. So this is not a temporary matter; it may be a major part of our remaining life’s work, in His eyes.
Our success can dramatically change the world. So will our failure.
Again: are you a peacemaker?
First, decide to be one, and start watching for opportunities to practice, to learn how it can work. Let the Spirit teach us. It’s a learned skill, and requires a fresh mindset, like everything else in that ‘sermon on the mount’.
Sometimes the worldviews among us will be so different that finding a bridge may seem impossible. Do what you can, and let God do the rest. His eternal strategy is clear: “… His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.”3
So we know the plan. Stay on the path. Find a way, if you can. Leave the results to Him, and keep going.
Second, assume good intent on everyone’s part. Very few are deliberately trying to do wrong. Especially in this time of “information warfare” you must assume people are working from different observations, different beliefs about what is true, different sets of information, relying on different ‘experts’, etc.
Assume good intent, until proven otherwise, realizing that we are in no position to judge another person’s heart or pain. We are experts at rationalizing our own righteousness.
“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?” asks Paul. “It is before his own master that he stands or falls,”4 and God claims the role of being that ultimate judge for every person.
(Yes, we rightfully judge the actions of those who work for us, as part of our earthly responsibilities. Those in government work at our direction as Constitutionally structured. But judging the heart is a different matter.)
And if you insist that someone really is evil at their core, God raises the bar another notch: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in Heaven.”5 We know that He was serious about it, because He did exactly that as He suffered the most shameful, excruciating death Rome could deliver. We are required to do the same.
Third, let’s remind and encourage each other to seek and play this role, rather than dwelling on “who’s right and who’s wrong,” as the rest of the world does. God is not on anyone’s side; we need to be on His side.
The New Testament, Matthew 5 through 7
The New Testament, Matthew 5:9, ESV
The New Testament, Ephesians 1:9-10, ESV
The New Testament, Romans 14:4, ESV
The New Testament, Matthew 5:44, ESV
Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Photo courtesy of NASA.