If you’ve been following the news about the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, you might be feeling as troubled as I am. My emotions are in turmoil. Anger rises at yet another act of violence. Grief settles in as I ponder the gap between our current reality and the world we wish to see. Anxiety creeps in about the future my children will inherit. And there’s a strong urge to find someone or something to blame.
Science tells us that in response to acute stress, we typically react by fighting, fleeing, or freezing. Given our collective stress, these behaviors manifest in our conversations, social media interactions, and news consumption. As I brought these feelings to the Lord, I found solace in Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are those who work for peace; God will call them his children!” (GNT). Other translations refer to these individuals as “peacemakers.”
In biblical times, a peacemaker would step into conflicts, even wars, to help the parties reach reconciliation. This peacemaking response contrasts sharply with our natural inclinations. You cannot make peace if you enter conflict with a desire for war, nor can you make peace if you avoid or refuse to engage. Peace must be actively created because it does not arise on its own.
What Does It Mean to Be a Peacemaker Today?
Making Peace within Ourselves
Matthew 15:18–19 reminds us that our words and actions stem from what resides in our hearts. To see change in the world, we must first seek transformation in our hearts and minds. We can look to Jesus Christ, the ultimate peacemaker, who sacrificed everything to reconcile humanity with God.
If disciplining your thoughts is challenging, remember 2 Corinthians 10:5b: “We take every thought captive and make it obey Christ” (GNT). Examine your thoughts and redirect them to honor Christ.
Sometimes, we may lack the strength to discipline our own thoughts. In such moments, remember Hebrews 4:15–16: “Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. Let us have confidence, then, and approach God’s throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it” (GNT).
Making Peace with Our Neighbors
To make peace with our neighbors, we must engage thoughtfully and aim for reconciliation. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) clearly outlines our responsibility to love one another. The more challenging part, however, is examining our motives during conflicts.
Do we genuinely desire the best for them as individuals made in the image of God? Are our interactions marked by the love of Jesus Christ, or are they driven by other motives? Romans 13:10 states: “If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law” (GNT).
Being a peacemaker means choosing to engage without any guarantee of a positive response from the other party. The act of making peace for the sake of reconciliation is an act of love, regardless of the outcome.
Making Peace in Our World
History shows us endless ways to become adversaries and create conflict-inducing systems. But as Athanasius of Alexandria wrote, “Christians, instead of arming themselves with swords, extend their hands in prayer.” Experiencing God’s love should transform our response to conflict.
We must ask ourselves, based on Christ’s example, how far we are willing to go to be peacemakers and seek reconciliation. Are we prepared to love one another so deeply that we are willing to sacrifice to reconcile people to God’s Kingdom? Our actions in the coming days will either lead people toward or away from reconciliation.
Let us choose to be peacemakers.
