Mathew 5:9 reads "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (NRSV). I came across the following reflection on that scripture in The Armoury Commentary: The Four Gospels, edited by General Frederick L. Coutts (1973).
"Some people's love for peace makes them little but troublemakers; for their policy of peace at any price, causing them to leave undisturbed unjust situations, and to 'patch up' quarrels without dealing with basic antagonisms, makes harmonious human relationships finally impossible."
As I read these wise words I see them ringing true with situations that surround, and sometimes include, me. I ask myself "am I a true peacemaker?" and as I reflect on this question I reach a disturbing yet truthful conclusion that I am not. Often I let injustice prevail for the sake of going 'under the radar'. Sometimes I hold my tongue when I should be challenging someone, simply because I want to be liked. Other times I fall victim to a simple temptation, that of apathy, which allows me to not care, when I know if faced with the same situation my Lord Jesus would most definitely care.
Justice and fairness are the values of the Kingdom of God and as such are values of the peacemaker; they should be valued and apparent in the life of anyone seeking holiness. I feel a conviction that I must be a true peacemaker. I need to be someone who seeks the Father’s heart and knows when to be assertive. I need to be someone that seeks the Spirit’s wisdom and knows what is fair and just, and what is unfair and unjust. I need to be someone that displays the humility and love of Jesus Christ so that anything that must be said or acted upon is done in a way that is Christ-like. As I face these truths in my heart, as I face the rebuke I feel in my spirit and as I seek ways in which to improve I ask another question; “Am I in a movement of peacemakers?”
However this question may be better phrased “is The Salvation Army a radical movement of disciples that seek peace, or is it a movement that simply wants quiet?” I cannot answer this question, not only because the thought has only recently formed in my mind, but also because I do not know the collective mind and heart of the movement. To suggest that I do would simply display ignorance on my part. I know that in my life as a part of The Salvation Army, I too often just want ‘quiet’. So with this in mind I make the following statement: I wish to address unjust situations and deal with basic antagonism on an everyday and practical level. I want to lead a life of holiness, part of which includes the promotion of fairness and justice in every aspect of my being. I wish to be a true peacemaker.
I end my thoughts on this with a quote from William Barclay; “It very often happens that if a [person] loves peace in the wrong way, [they] succeed in making trouble and not peace”. May we be a people that love peace in the right way; this is, of course, the Lord’s way.
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