So I went to church yesterday. Nothing new about this, of course-- I generally go almost every Sunday. I'm trying out a new church that I kind of like, and for Lent, the pastor has been preaching on the Beatitudes. Yesterday, she talked about Matthew 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

Perhaps for me, the point that echoed most in my mind is that peacemaking does not eschew conflict. When I think of peace, I tend to think of an absence of conflict. Peace means no war, right? Peace means harmony and agreement in our homes, in our communities, in our nation. Peace is a room where I make a point and everyone nods their heads enthusiastically.

If what I just described is peace, then yeah, peace is a pipe dream. Because that kind of peace would essentially require all of us to be the same person, with the same material needs (all of which could be fulfilled easily) and the same beliefs. The bottom line is that we don't live in that kind of world. We all carry different experiences and different circumstances that inevitably bring us into conflict with one another. You aren't the same person that I am, so we don't always believe the same things. I may have more resources to get what I need than you do, which will lead to conflict when we're competing for the same things. Any discussion of peace has to take conflict into account, because it is one of the defining realities of human existence.

So, Jesus, what does it mean to be a peacemaker? I certainly don't know all the answers to that question. There are two points, however, that I reflected on during yesterday's sermon. One is that as Christians, we have to be willing to confront for the sake of the Gospel. If we see a world that isn't living up to God's vision, that isn't reflecting God's love (which is much of the time), then we need to stand up and say so. I would certainly consider the prophets bearers of God's shalom, but they were coming into conflict with religious leaders all the time. We call Jesus the Prince of Peace, but Jesus didn't hesitate to speak up on behalf of people without the power to speak for themselves. Speaking God's vision for the world is always going to bring you in conflict with someone else. But real peace requires working through conflict rather than avoiding it.

I also thought about how work for peace, like everything else Christians do, has to stem out of love. So many of the destructive conflicts we do see today are born out of hatred. Sometimes there are good reasons for that hatred. But does that really get us anywhere? If bare bones Christian teaching is to love God and love your neighbor, then that has to be at the forefront of everything we do. Conflict for the sake of proving you're right or for revenge just perpetuates cycles of violence. Peacemaking has to stem from love of God and love of God's creation, bringing justice while letting go of retribution.

The Presbyterian Church has an entire office devoted to peacemaking, complete with a young adult network of peacemakers. If this is something you're interested in, go to www.pcusa.org/peacemaking/ for lots of information and resources. In June, Transforming Fear Into Love: Peace Building for Our Time will take place in New Mexico. There are special opportunities for college students to work at the conference and get a totally free trip in exchange. You can contact Amanda Craft at 888/728-7228, ext. 5624 if you're interested in more details.

Thanks for bearing with me as I ruminated on peace this morning :). As you go through the week, I hope you find shalom in unexpected places.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." --John 14:27

Kelsey