Peacemaking

Friday 3/25/2016 4:22 AM

Today I read these words of Henri Nouwen, “Peacemaking must be the primary focus of all political leaders, whether in or out of power. But the temptations to personal power are too intense to be overcome by our insistently self-centered egos. Therefore, the peace must be God’s peace, a peace that is freely available when we turn inwardly to Jesus. Jesus is the model of the ultimate peacemaker, always pointing to Abba as the ultimate source of peace, justice, goodness, mercy, love, and creativity. In order to claim peace, we must relinquish our own private agendas and let ourselves be claimed by God.”

I would argue that peacemaking must be not only the primary focus of political leaders, it should also be one of the primary foci of the Christian community. Too often we take our lead from the world and emulate its way of doing things as we interact within the church and with the world. It seems the evangelical church has become a big political machine, looking to protect the interests of the church and of Christians. It looks to restore “family values” using any means necessary and become messengers of hate and bigotry in the process. We focus on our rights being stripped away and seek to restore our society to the way it once was, a simpler, kinder time we remember from our childhood.

God’s call to me as a Christian is to seek justice for those who are oppressed and beaten down, for those without a voice. I am to give up my own rights and seek for the restoration of rights for the disenfranchised in our society. We need to step away from the seats of power and prestige to make way for those who have been too long ignored.