Work For Peace

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Peacemakers are people who first make peace with God. Peacemakers are also those who create healthy relationships between people. Then there are people in the world who are hubs for conflict, trouble and bitterness, and they always cause strife. We find them in every church and community. They sow seeds of dissension, misunderstanding, distrust, and discord.

Two brothers had flourishing wheat farms next to one another. Occasionally they had a bumper crop. The elder brother said, “My brothers doesn’t have a wife. I’ll help him and give him some of my wheat.” And every moonlight night he took armfuls of golden wheat, carried it across the fence and put it down on his brother’s land. Meanwhile, the younger brother said to himself, “My brother has a wife and family. I’ll make life easier and give him some of my wheat.” And every moonlight night he crossed the fence and put them on his brother’s land. The inevitable finally happened: the two brothers bumped into each other, each with arms piled high with wheat. Tradition has it that the first church on earth was built on that spot.

This is the test for being a child of God. We must do our best to create the right environment for people to live happily. Peacemakers are willing to stich their necks out for peace, even jeopardizing their personal safety. To be a peacemaker is not an ideal or a dream. In Christ it is a doable reality. It is the Holy Spirit who leads us through this gateway and enables us to be peacemakers.

Grace and Peace to You My Friends