BLOG Post: The Four-Minute Read
Peace, a small word with a deep resonance for all humans. You could argue that it is the greatest and highest expectation in the lives of the majority of people on planet earth. Everyone loves the idea of peace.
We are living in a world of chaos and disruption, whether it be war between nations or neighbours failing to see eye to eye, our world is experiencing turbulence like many of us have not experienced in our lifetime.
In Myanmar over this last weekend (29th March), we have seen pictures of the destruction and chaos as a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the city of Mandalay with tremors reaching as far as Bangkok in Thailand. Buildings and houses destroyed, leaving thousands homeless and mourning the deaths of nearly 1800 people. In the meantime, while reports from the media show this awful situation, the same media is reporting that the military junta is bombing villages, even in the chaos of earthquake destruction, in other parts of Myanmar in fighting that also has brought untold suffering and deaths to whole communities.
Meanwhile in Ukraine, President Trump is negotiating a deal with Russia in order to bring about a ceasefire, it would appear there are some barriers being raised to stall this. In Pakistan in the region of Baluchistan, terrorists attack a train killing passengers.
Peace – as a noun, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means freedom from disturbance, tranquility and a state or period where there is no war or a war has ended. This I am sure is the desire of most humans, whether you live in Sri Lanka, Laos, Mozambique or France, but peace like this is temporary and dependent on many facets.
As Christians we should have confidence to believe that in all this chaos and disturbance that we see in our communities, and in the nations in which we live, that there is one promise, given initially by Jesus to his disciples, but washes over into our lives too. We read in John 14:27; “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’
Albert Einstein said this about peace, “Peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, of law, of order – in short, of government”. In the Bible we read in the book of Isaiah, ‘for to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders…’ Jesus is the peace that the world is looking for and if we are a believer, we are the receivers of this peace.
Peace, given to us from the source of Peace – ‘And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your mind in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:7).
I write this as an encouragement to us all. Looking around us we see despair, disturbance and chaos. But you and I are called to be peacemakers. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God” (Matt. 5:9). Into a world that is ugly with violence and hate, Jesus sends us as peacemakers.
But being a person of peace takes effort, many of us want to be a peace keeper, but keeping our heads down when addressing conflict gets difficult. There is a big difference being a peace keeper and a peacemaker, although both are important.
Peacekeepers just want to stop a conflict, ignoring the power of the abuser and those who are suffering, not really looking for a solution, hoping all ends well.
Peacekeeping is good, but we are called to something greater, we are called to be peacemakers. Being a peacemaker means that you need to create a path to understanding, reconciliation and unity. Very often it calls us to move into a more dangerous path of discomfort and risk as it calls us to follow a path first walked by our Saviour.
Jesus was and is the Prince of peace. But Jesus also said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Mathew 10:34). This sounds like conflict? But Jesus refused to use violence and dehumanize, he treated everyone with honour, no matter their background and telling us to love our enemies.
Being a peacemaker, we must ask challenging questions and raise difficult issues in order to start a process to bring about peace and reconciliation. But for those who do, you will be called blessed and you will be called sons of God.
Bless you this month and thank you for reading….
Questions to reflect on:
Am I determined to become a peacemaker?
What would this mean to the community around me?
Where is God calling me to act?
