A Prayer

A Prayer

for

Peacemakers

April 2004

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matt. 5:9). Further, we know that true peace is not only the absence of trouble; it is the enjoyment of all that is good. Help us then, Lord, to be givers of this kind of peace.

We know, Lord, that this blessing requires action and decisiveness. Sometimes we think that we are making peace when in fact we are piling up trouble for the future because we refuse to face the situation and refuse to take the action that the situation demands. The peace that the Bible calls “blessed” does not come from the evasion of issues. It comes from facing issues and dealing with them. This beatitude does not demand a passive acceptance of things because we are afraid of trouble if we do anything; rather, this beatitude demands an active facing of things, and making peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle.

We must begin by applying this beatitude to ourselves. Blessed are we when we make peace with ourselves. Blessed are we when we make peace in our own hearts and in our own souls. In every one of us, there is an inner conflict between good and evil. Every one of us is, at least to some extent, a walking civil war, as the darkness and the light struggle for possession of our souls. True happiness rests on inner peace. Blessed indeed are we when our inner war is over and we have given our whole heart to you, O Lord God.

But certainly another meaning of this beatitude is that we should be the kind of people who establish the right kind of relationships between people.

Some people are storm centers of strife. Wherever they are, they are either involved in quarrels themselves or they are the cause of quarrels. They are troublemakers. There are people like this in every society and in every church. They do the devil's work. If the devil were writing Matt. 5:9, he would write, "Blessed are the troublemakers, for they shall be called the children of Satan."

On the other hand, there are people whose presence alone destroys nasty, hate-filled attitudes. Some people heal divisions, settle disputes, and sweeten bitternesses. Help us to be such people, O Lord.

Lord, this beatitude says that the peacemakers are blessed, because they shall be called your children. Peacemaking is the kind of work that you do, so those who do that kind of work are your children. Help us to do that kind of work, O Lord, that we also may be called your children. Amen.

If you have questions or comments, email Tony Grant

Last Modified: 1/17/04