Blessed are the peacemakers?
Jesus said “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.”
Do we believe him?
When we worry that our city streets feel hot and desperate, one solution is to buy a handgun and keep it close.
When we fear for the future of democracy, one solution is to stockpile guns.
When we learn there are nations that hate us, one solution is to vote to build more bombs.
If our goal is increased violence, those solutions just might work.
But if our goal is peace, we might need to rethink.
In the garden of Gethsemane, confronted by palace guards, Jesus calmly waited for arrest. When Peter grabbed a sword and swiped off a guard’s ear, Jesus picked it up and put it back. Luke, the doctor, the meticulous researcher, is the only gospel writer to record the replaced ear. Did it happen? I believe it did, a small, sweet miracle to remind everyone present, and all who would hear the story: God’s power has nothing to do with swords, with guns, with bombs.
For the first three centuries of the Christian church, a hallmark of the Christ-follower was a willingness to face persecution, punishment, even death, rather than pick up sword or stone in self defense.
A quick survey of early church writers reveals a wealth of wisdom regarding the call to peace. . . Read more at Words Half Heard
