Blessed Are The Peacemakers

Why real peace demands more than passive tolerance

Photo by Sandra Grünewald on Unsplash

Up until the recent ceasefire, many people thought this Iran-Israel conflict was going to erupt into World War 3. And it still may. But that's not what this article is about.

I've had talks with relatives and others about this conflict and the biblical parallels. Some people think this may lead up to the Ezekiel 38 war, as described in scripture. Without going deep into geopolitics, one thing is true. There are real people involved.

In mainstream culture, tolerance is often regarded as the highest moral virtue. Many people believe this will lead to a peaceful world. However, the mainstream version of tolerance is more akin to a form of permission. It's a blanket approval for all lifestyles and ideas. No consequences, no judgment.

But that version of tolerance doesn't work. If every idea is valid, nothing is. A society where everyone does "what is right in their own eyes" (Judges 21:25) can't survive for long.

Tolerance, I believe, is not necessarily accepting all positions as valid but instead extending patience, love, and respect to those we may disagree with.

In other words, recognizing the fundamental rights of others. If your mind goes to the Constitution of the United States, you're on the right track!

We don't have to agree to live in peace.

By extending tolerance properly, we become peacemakers. And Jesus, in the Beatitudes, calls those people blessed.

The other night, I called an Uber home from a men's bible study. My driver had a name that sounded Muslim. And I got the strange sense that he was. And yet, instead of being apprehensive, I got excited.

I got in the car and struck up a friendly conversation with him. I told him about the Bible study group, and he asked me a lot of questions about it, seeming genuinely interested.

So I extended an invitation. "Yeah, man, it's a great group of guys. If you're curious about God, feel free to come!"

Then he said it. "I'm actually Muslim, but I appreciate the invite."

So I said ok. And we talked about other things. My driver, who had a blank expression when I got in the car, was smiling when I got out.

I believe that God put a desire to love and bless this man with the little bit of time I had with him. At that moment, I couldn't have cared less that he was Muslim. I sought to see the human beneath. And I hope I planted a seed somehow.

It was a beautiful moment of peace, joy, and love.

That's what being a peacemaker is: one who seeks the good of another.

Now, I'm not a pacifist. I do believe that military action is necessary when innocent lives are at risk. But let's be careful not to paint people with a broad brush as enemies.

Yes, there are radical Islamic terrorists in Iran, the Middle East, and the world. These people are terrorists and seek to harm others with extremist ideologies. There is no mainstream tolerance here.

The other reality is that there are innocent people in Iran who hate these terrorists because they are oppressing them. There's also an underground church, one of the fastest-growing in the world, located in Iran.

Sometimes, taking military action can serve as a bridge to peacemaking.

And peacemaking is one of the most difficult and courageous things we can do. Especially in this increasingly divided world we live in. And it doesn't involve rolling on your back and letting go of the truth or your convictions. You're reaching out your hand instead.

It could be as simple as listening to understand that person's story rather than just correcting them.

It could involve offering hospitality with a meal or some other form of comfort.

It could be forgiving someone that you don't like. Whether they apologize or not.

Peacemaking is a choice that requires action and intentionality.

In a world where some people want to start fires. Be a builder of bridges instead.

Jesus didn't say, "Blessed are the critics" or "Blessed are the loudest." He said, "Blessed are the peacemakers."

That's another way you can live free and in shalom!

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What do you think it means to be a peacemaker in a culture that rewards outrage and tribalism?

Let me know in the comments or feel free to reply to this email!