Matthew 5:9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
We are continuing to progress through the Beatitudes, remembering that each blessing builds on those preceding it.
Matthew 5:3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, (righteousness) for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
This is an amazing promise! When people are truly peacemakers, they will be called the children of God. Why? God is not a God of confusion but a God of peace. The mark of the Holy Spirit is peace. When Jesus was counseling his disciples the night before he died, he said, “I give you peace.” There’s no substitute for God’s peace, for when we experience it, our hearts are at rest.What does it take to be a peacemaker? To truly be a peacemaker, you must realize that you are spiritually poor, you must grieve over unrighteousness, you must be humble, you must passionately seek justice, you must be merciful and God must purify your heart.
Peacemakers can come from a variety of places. The Liberian women’s peace movement, initiated in 2003, played a crucial role in ending the Second Liberian Civil War. Led by women like Leymah Gbowee, this grassroots movement united women from various backgrounds to advocate for peace through non-violent protests and activism.
Key Aspects of the Movement
- Formation: The movement emerged in response to the prolonged violence and instability in Liberia, which had lasted for 14 years and resulted in significant loss of life and displacement.
- Non-Violent Protests: Women organized sit-ins, marches, and other forms of peaceful demonstration, emphasizing their demand for peace and stability.
- International Recognition: The movement gained global attention, leading to the involvement of international bodies and support for their cause.
- Impact: Their efforts contributed to the eventual signing of a peace agreement in 2003, which ended the civil war and led to the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia’s first female president. (AI summary)
What dangers these women faced as they worked to bring peace to their country can only be imagined. Being a peacemaker can be a very dangerous thing as the story of one set of friends testifies. Several years ago, we worked in a Catholic mission hospital with a delightful colleague who was a Rwandan Ob/Gyn specialist. Prior to coming to Ghana, this doctor had trained in Europe, and he and his family had come to Ghana at the invitation of the local bishop. The Rwandan Civil War that raged from 1990-1994 involved a continuing struggle between the Tutsi’s and the Hutu’s. Eventually 800,000 people would die. Horrified at the carnage, my friend who was a peace-loving Hutu, did everything he could to bring peace, even writing a book pleading for peace between the two groups. Sadly, my friend’s pleas not only fell on deaf ears, but he and his wife and six children found themselves in danger from radicals on both sides of the conflict. This family had to leave Rwanda to survive. Eventually, the family settled permanently in Ghana.
Being a peacemaker is a dangerous business, for many times, hotheads from both sides of a dispute not only refuse to listen to reason but will come together long enough to turn and attack the very people attempting to bring peace. The second the would-be peacemaker has been eliminated, the two sides will resume fighting. Our Rwandan friends have remained exiles to avoid being slaughtered.
Becoming a true peacemaker is not an easy calling. We must examine our own hearts. Why do we want peace? Do we truly want lasting peace for the sake of all those involved or do we have some other ulterior motives that we are unwilling to acknowledge?
One challenge to would-be peacemakers is this: Why do you want peace? Are you truly interested in bringing peace or are you merely trying to remove an irritation and make things more comfortable for yourself? Many times, families do everything they can to avoid conflict, not because they really want peace but because an authority figure in the family doesn’t want to face issues or wants things to look good in public. In such situations, there is strong pressure to avoid bringing up issues that should be thoroughly discussed, lest an influential person become distraught. Such fight-phobia can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings as children struggle to please parents whose mantra is “Don’t bring me no bad news!” Sadly, a failure to address issues head-on can lead to decades of tension with alarming results. In one family of our acquaintance, the matriarch insisted that two family members were working “like a single man;” meanwhile, a conflict was raging that nearly split the family.
The world needs people who are really peacemakers, who will face issues head-on, and who will work quietly, persistently, and prayerfully. Jesus said that peacemakers will be blessed. But as the example of our Rwandan friends illustrates, you can be a true peacemaker and find yourself in danger. Jesus said peacemakers will be blessed, but he did not say they will be safe!
This morning we are praying the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi.
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Leave a Reply