“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
What does this mean? What does it mean to be a peacemaker in our world, in our country, in our community, in our family, in our home, in our church, among friends, among enemies? I’ve been contemplating this, and I’ve come up with a small and limited list of, perhaps, some things I (and you) could do to be peacemakers in this world. Perhaps you can think of more and add to this list.
One: Never limit myself to my neighborhood, my church, my social class…the world is much bigger than me. Embrace it.
Two: Abandon prejudices by getting to know individuals in those situations that I tend to judge. Vow to never speak about a situation unless I have either lived it or listened to individuals in that situation. Such as: stop talking about immigration unless I’ve listened to immigrants’ stories, stop talking about racism unless I’ve heard from those of a different race, stop talking about prisoners until I’ve taken time to chat with someone who’s been there. Martin Luther King, Jr, said, “A riot is the language of the unheard.” Perhaps if more people felt that others were actually listening to them, they wouldn’t feel the need for violence.
Three: Break down stereotypes that others have of Christians. Work hard at being nonjudgmental. Word hard at being real and honest. Give up Christian lingo that others cannot understand. Learn to explain my faith in terms that make sense to others.
Four: Stop having to have an enemy. So often, in order for our group identity to be strong, we create a common enemy. Having someone to be against binds our group tighter together. It’s our own insecurities that do this. We want to belong to this group, so we have to be against that group. Stop it! Learn to love “the enemy”.
Five: Risk doing something I’m uncomfortable with. Helping out in a neighborhood I wouldn’t normally frequent. Leaving my yard to talk to a neighbor. Serving in a downtown soup kitchen. Volunteering at a homeless shelter.
Six: Don’t live in fear. We build up things in our minds that immobilize us. How often do I think, “The world is scary, I must stay home. I can’t let a stranger into my home.” No! Start seeing God in individuals; after all, each one is created in God’s image. Maybe if I see their value, they will see their value also.
Seven: My safety should not be a priority. From my understanding of God’s ways, security is not the priority. Welcoming is the priority. Work to make others safe. Protecting myself will only put me on the other side of the fence. Give up trying to protect myself from all calamities. Nothing about life is guaranteed. Jesus said in John 16:33 (AMP), “In the world you will have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous; I have overcome the world.”
Eight: Comfort is nice, but not necessary. I like my comfort! Give up some “me” time for others. Give away some food that I love. Give away some clothes that I love. Give money until it hurts. Do without the comforts of home for a period of time in order to serve somewhere else.
Nine: It’s not fair to demand rights for myself at the expense of denying them to others. John F. Kennedy once said, “Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free.” If I’m going to work for human rights, work for the rights of all people, not just me, not just my group.
Ten: “My life is not about me. I am about life.” (R. Rohr) It’s almost impossible to get to this point in life, where self-consciousness and selfishness do not determine my actions. It takes boldness and courage, which I lack greatly. I cannot do it except when I am connected to God, letting the Spirit of Jesus live through me. What a privilege that is, to live connected to the Creator of all things.
I’ll leave you with this quote by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Lutheran pastor during the Hitler regime:
“There is no way to peace along the way of safety. For peace must be dared, it is itself the great venture and can never be safe. Peace is the opposite of security. To demand guarantees is to want to protect oneself. Peace means giving oneself completely to God’s commandment, wanting no security, but in faith and obedience laying the destiny of the nations in the hand of Almighty God, not trying to direct it for selfish purposes. Battles are won, not with weapons, but with God. They are won where the way leads to the cross.”
So let it be.
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