Day 22. Peacemakers
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"Blessed are the peacemakers — for they shall be called the children of God." Matthew 5:9
This seems to be a much overlooked beatitude. There are many people who are really strife-makers rather than peace-makers. They do not seek to heal estrangements between others, to prevent quarrels and contentions, and to bring together those who have begun to drift apart. Indeed, their whole influence goes toward widening breaches, intensifyingbitterness, and exciting anger and hatred. When they find in anyone a germ of suspicion or dislike of another — they stimulate the evil growth! Is it not time that we should get our Lord's beatitude down out of the skies — and begin to work it into our lives? Is it not time that we should become peacemakers in a world whose beauty is marred by so much strife?
The peacemaking spirit is divine. No one in Heaven finds delight in separating friends. Just so far as we get the peacemaking spirit into our lives — do we bear the mark of God's image. To be peacemakers, we must first of all strive to live peaceably with all men. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you — live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18
But, further, we are also to strive to make and promote peace between others. Our ministry is not to be confined to the settlement of great quarrels — but may find even its most fruitful work in the healing of the petty contentions which we discover all around us. Whenever we find one man angry with another, we should seek to remove the angry feeling. The little rifts in others' friendships — we should strive to heal. The unkind thoughts of others which we find in people's minds — we should seek to change into kindly thoughts. We can do no greater Christ-like service, than to seek always to promote peace between man and man, to keep people from drifting apart, and to get them to live together more lovingly.
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