Blessed are the Peacemakers

Ours is a world deeply marred by the corruption of sin. The groaning of creation under its weight (Romans 8:22) becomes louder with each passing day, it seems. Nowhere is this more pronounced than in the headlines, stories and images we’ve seen coming from Minnesota over the last couple of weeks. Scenes of violence and disorder, increasing instances of rioting and clashes between private citizens and law enforcement are disheartening. The loss of human life is tragic and lamentable irrespective of your political leanings.

A World Groaning Under the Weight of Sin

In the midst of this, people are angry, and they aren’t getting any less angry. Virulent invectives are hurled from one side toward the other, each side vilifying and demonizing the other, increasing tensions and inciting greater sin. Whatever righteous principles are espoused by either side become lost in the tsunami of hateful words and divisive rhetoric. And while this is disheartening, it should not be surprising. Worldly people enslaved to their sinful nature is nothing new. This is what we should expect from the world.

When Anger Reaches the Church

The thing that most concerns, convicts and discourages me is when I see and hear people who name the name of Christ act and speak with this same kind of perpetual anger and hatred toward others. Almost daily I see Christian people from the left and the right spew angry and agitating bile right along with the world. Each side self-righteously sanctifying their position by baptizing it with a Bible verse or two. This does not make things better, and it does not honor Christ.

A Different Calling for the People of Christ

The world is angry, and it won’t serve anyone well for us to be angry along with them. Our nation doesn’t need more fuming screeds. Our neighbors need words and deeds of hope, peace and reconciliation. This is the work Jesus has called us to: to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Our world is hopelessly broken apart from the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the proclamation of this gospel is the grand and glorious work he’s given to his church.

In this time of great crisis in our nation, let us set aside our complaints and jeremiads. Instead, let us be proclaimers of the gospel of hope and reconciliation. I’d like to suggest a few things we can all do to that end.

What Faithfulness Looks Like Right Now

• Seek to be peacemakers
  Make up your mind that, with the Lord’s help, you will not contribute to the strife, hatred and division we see. Instead, ask the Lord to move you to be someone who fosters reconciliation and peace. If you must post on social media, point people to Christ; be a purveyor of unity.
• Keep yourselves from idols
  An idol is anything that takes the place of ultimate value and authority in our lives. One of the great idols we must resist is the idol of political ideology. Beware of allowing your political allegiances to become ultimate and usurp the place of Christ and his Word as your ultimate authorities.
• Pray for your enemies
  a. “Pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). If you really want to stop hating and start loving someone, just start praying for them. No, you’re not praying for God’s judgment to fall on them (no imprecatory prayers, please); you are praying for their good and for their blessing. Of course, the greatest thing we can pray for is their salvation and their sanctification.
• Have conversations
  It’s easy to demonize a group of people. It’s more difficult to demonize a person you know. So, get out from in front of your screen and have coffee or dinner with someone; perhaps someone who sees things differently than you. To quote Stephen Covey, “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Nothing will get better until we start talking to one another instead of talking about one another.
• Share the gospel
  There is no greater need in the world today than for people to know and hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. As people are reconciled to God through Christ, they will be reconciled to one another (Ephesians 2:18–22). This is the only hope for peace and unity for this nation or any other. Let us be fervent in sharing the good news of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.