Lent: “Blessed are the peacemakers…” Who are they? What do they do?

© Deborah Evans

One of the most commonly quoted sayings of Jesus is: “Blessed are the peacemakers, (for) they will be called the children of God.”

Who’s a peacemaker? What do they do?

To understand the answers to these questions, it’s important to distinguish between “peace” and “order.” These two concepts or experiences are completely different.

Order is imposed. Peace is pursued. Order is held in place by force, power, compulsion, or fear. Peace is experienced and maintained by understanding and cooperation.

Peacemakers are called the children of God because their peace originates with God. And it begins within and expands from the place of beginnig. There can be no peaceful home, neighborhood, community, or country without peaceful individuals. Order, structure, and control can be imposed.

Peace can never be imposed. Peace must be willingly chosen.

What, after all, is peace? It can be many things in many situations. First, peace is alignment with what is real: God’s character, will, and purposes. Peace is not always quiet, but it is always honest. It is ruthlessly honest. Peace is a state of heart and mind that sees reality before it imagines dreams. If you are a Christ follower, your first obligation is to see God as the foundation and basic premise of your life. Everything peaceful begins there.

Peace is not political. It’s not economic. It’s spiritual because we are spiritual beings before we are anything else. We are eternal beings who will live somewhere forever. Disappearing or dissolving into oblivion is not a choice we can make — even if that option seems appealing. We’re creatures, and because of that state of being, we can’t define every element of our existence.

But we can choose peace. We can choose honest observation and determined positive action for ourselves and others. We can choose intelligent thought and general kindness. We can choose to align ourselves with ultimate reality and truth (God). We can choose to reject mindlessness and raging anger and envy.

When we decide to choose peace, it’s very lifely turmoil will follow in some area of life. If we’re accustomed to disorder, endless conflict, and fear based transactions as a way of life peace will feel uncertain and counterproductive.

Walking away from falsehoods and fear and leaning into God is not an easy or quick process. Peacemakers don’t wear hats or t-shirts that read “I am a peacemaker.” If you see that, it might be a good idea to run the other way! If you become a peacemaker, you must begin with making godly peace your top priority. It looks messy in the beginning. God will be with you in the process. You may take two steps forward and one step back. It’s a process. Learning anything new is a process. It is, however, attainable.

You can be a peacemaker. You can be a child of God.