In Arizona, when you google 'Peacemaker' you get gun shows

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9

Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14

What stands out in bold in a brand new way to me is the promise of a harvest of good fruits and righteousness sown in peace.  Pure, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy peace.

Making the internet rounds this week is a Craigslist survey of nonChristians and how they feel about Christians: 

“I have no problem whatsoever with God or Jesus – only Christians. It’s been my experience that most Christians are belligerent, disdainful and pushy.” — D.B., Atlanta

“Whenever I’m approached by an evangelist – by a Christian missionary – I know I’m up against someone so obsessed and narrowly focused that it will do me absolutely no good to try and explain or share my own value system. I never want to be rude to them, of course, but never have any idea how to respond to their attempts to convert me; in short order, I inevitably find myself simply feeling embarrassed–first for them, and then for us both. I’m always grateful when such encounters conclude.” – K.C., Fresno

Somehow, present-day Christians forgot about turning the other cheek, abandoned the notion of treating others like they would like to be treated themselves; they’ve become bent on preaching, judging, and selfishly attempting to save the souls of others by condemning them. What happen to love? To respect?” — S.P., Nashville

And as I prepare for the SALT camping adventure, three days tromping about the mountains with Desert seniors, wearing a t-shirt that states in bold lettering: Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders, make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversations be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone, I am reminded that wisdom from above is not about a list of statistics or archeological discoveries or political finagling, or even wham, bam machine-gun-rapid recited Bible verses.  

To be wise is to be gentle, open to reason, full of mercy.  Peacemakers.  

And to set our confidence it the Peacemaker, the One who makes peace for us with God.  If He is indeed the Love, the Power, the Good Shepherd that we profess with our mouth, we can rest in complete assurance that He is the One Who Brings Forth the harvest, the harvest sown in peace.

And we shall be called sons of God.

Heavy Lifting

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the sons of God.  Matthew 5: 9

“Peacemaking is divine work, for peace means reconciliation, and God is the source of peace and reconciliation.  This is the same verb that is used when ‘God was pleased to reconcile Himself to all things… making peace by the blood of the cross.’” (Stott)

This is a comfort.  He does all the heavy lifting.  Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your Name give glory; because of your love and because of your faithfulness.  It is His love and His faithfulness, not us.  Reconciliation gives Him pleasure, to all things, to such a degree that He was willing to pay the ultimate price.   Therefore I can rest assured that He will continue to pursue, continue to seek, continue to love and to be faithful. 

I read An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina (Hotel Rwanda) last night.  He was a peacemaker.  And it was costly.  But he saw no other options because of who he was: The son of his father and the lessons he had been taught, a son of a Hutu man and Tutsi mother and most of all: he was hotel manager and it was his role to take care of his guests.  

Thus, although peacemaking is costly, it is who we are. We are following in our Father’s footsteps and we shall be called the sons of God.