August 20 - Peacemakers

Part 8 - Blessed are the peacemakers

At the gym I go to, there is a row of tv’s hung from the ceiling so that those on the treadmills or bikes can watch as they work out. I love it, because my ADD is in full swing looking back and forth from one tv to the next. I can usually watch CNN, Fox, Local KCAl, and GPRO tv all at the same time. So I get 2 overly biased news outlets, one local outlet, and extreme sports all in one. 

But I am so blown away at how one sided the news channels are.

I don’t want to upset any of you, but if you watch CNN or FOX, please don’t be fooled into believing they are reporting the news. They are both reporting their side of the news. It’s obvious when you watch them side by side. 

For instance, 

When the ICE raids were happening just a month ago, there was protesting going on here in LA. It was the only thing being covered by the news. Yet all three channels mentioned above, reported a completely different angle of the same story. And it wasn’t like the synoptic gospels where you were getting a clear story by watching them all together. You were actually left wondering what was really happening at the end. One station was bent on showing the lawlessness of the protest, and reran the same clip over and over again of two men beating and burning a trump doll, mixed in with a group of people looting a store. On the other hand, the other station looped their real with shots of detention busses and people being pulled onto busses for deportation. They mixed their loop with families in tears. 

Neither of them covered the 1000s of people actually marching, the organized protest on the streets, or the people asking for reform. This wasn’t even part of their story. One side wanted to paint the picture that this was just an anti-trump movement, while the other story wanted to paint the picture that this was a heartless effort to tear apart families. . . . . neither captured the story. However, both captured the hearts of their audience. 

Just by explaining what I witnessed has probably got some of you stirred up a little. So please forgive me and allow me to keep moving on to make my point. 

There is a rift in the USA. 

And it’s not one that only rests here, but let me address what I see and understand here. 

It’s so easy to get along with everyone who sides with you. Those who have the same viewpoint or believe the same way you do, are the easiest to stand with. I get that. It’s natural. You have more in common to talk about, you probably watch the same shows, listen to the same voices, and have a common interest in how you vote, support, and promote certain ideals. 

But why does someone disagreeing with me, mean that we have to have hatred between us? 

It’s all around us. Every time someone is in disagreement, there seems to be a need to cancel one another. It is as if people believe one difference in ideology means there has to be a complete line drawn in the sand to cut that person off. 

Let’s be honest, 

We do it with politics, 

We do it with religion, 

We do it with social class and economic status, shoot, we do it if our neighbor leaves their trash cans out too long, or if a roommate doesn’t clean up the dishes the same way we do. 

It’s like everything tries to tear us apart when you think about it. 

This is why Jesus waited until his 8th point before saying, Blessed are the peacemakers. This is no easy task. And the only way to be a peacemaker, is if you learn to be poor in spirit, mourn, become meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, and are pure in heart. Without those things, I promise you, there is no way you have the understanding and motivation to be a peacemaker. 

See, being a peacemaker is someone who is willing to stand in the middle of a group of people who completely disagree with you, and maybe even speak evil of you, and be wiling to say - I would die for each of you. 

The more common thought when confronting people who are idiots, is more something like - I could just strangle them!!!! They make me so angry. 

But not so with a peacemaker. 

Their inclination is to do whatever it takes to bring hope and peace to someone, no matter where they are in their life. That is why Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

What! 

Children of God?

If only we had an example of what a child of God might act like. . . Oh, wait. . . The one who offered up these words is the SON of God. 

And what did he do? 

HE laid down his life for us, as Paul says in Romans 5:10 “While we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son”

WE weren’t just in a disagreement. . . We were enemies - meaning we were working against him. Jesus came to reconcile us to God, while we were still trying to depart from God’s covering. Yet Jesus came and died. 

I imagine there were several times when Jesus watched the Jews and the Gentiles, where he just shook his head and laughed. One side believing they were better than everyone and acting as if they were above the lowly sinners, while the other side rolled their eyes and threw off any sign of restraint and moral character. Jesus probably looked around and thought to himself, is everyone gone crazy around here? 

But he didn’t fight for a side, give his political opinion, push people away, or even cut people off. He simply loved everyone and created peace between others. So when he says blessed are the peacemakers, he was the living example of what this looked like. 

To be a child of God, means you represent him, you look like him, talk like him, act like him. . . . 

See, God is less concerned with you arguing your point and getting your ideas across than he is concerned with you presenting his name to the people around you. He wants you to be a person that represents him and carries his name, more than a person who has a strong case for their argument. 

It is quite possible that the only way to truly do this, however, is to turn off the influences that are arguing your point for you. Stop building a case. Stop listening to news channels and podcasts that reinforce your frustrations, and start looking for sources that will help you love others. 

Look, there are a lot of people in this world that I want to grab by the shoulders and shake some common sense into them. There are people who say and believe the dumbest things, and somehow even promote these ideologies. I don’t get it. But I don’t have to either. I just have to love them. 

And, if I remember the first 7 points Jesus made, I will find that I actually need to be grabbed by the shoulders and shaken at some point too. So maybe I should just chill out. 

So how do we become peacemakers?

Well, by loving people who are different than us! 

Try inviting someone to dinner, who completely disagrees with your stance on marriage, life, sexuality, religion, immigration, or anything else that might rub you the wrong way, and instead of having a conversation that tries to convince them that you are right - find out how their day was. Ask them what things you can pray for. Show them love and compassion. And in so doing, become a peacemaker. Because then, you will be called a child of God. 

Who do you know that you can make peace with? 

Who have you disagreed with in the past, and you no longer have a relationship with them because of that disagreement? Maybe call them up. Text them. Let them know you are thinking of them and miss them. Swallow your pride, and Be a peacemaker. And as you do, I pray you learn what you believe, and why you believe it to be true. 

Ok, you wrestle with that for now - I love you, and as you learn to be a peacemaker with the people around you, may God bless you!