The Hopes and Fears of All the Years: Day Fourteen

No Justice, No Peace

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.” - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stride Toward Freedom

Text: Matthew 5:9

In the imagination and language of Scripture peace means so much more than just a cessation of hostilities. Shalom, the idea laying behind the word peace used in this passage, means not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of balance, prosperity, and wholeness. Shalom is what is happening when everything is in right relationship, when everyone has enough.

Where there is no justice, there can be no peace.
They are two sides of the same coin.

Jesus calls peacemakers “children of God,” which is a beautiful image, and becoming a parent has opened new dimensions of meaning in this for me. My kids are getting older, but when they were small they imitated us all the time. When they were just starting to walk they would step into our shoes and try to walk around the house. They would inevitably fall many, many times. Yet, they were not discouraged one bit. They kept getting back up and trying again and again. Even now that they are older our smaller kiddos still, from time to time, attempt to slip on our shoes and walk around the house. Sure enough, they do better now than they did back then. They’ve started to grow into shoes that were once cartoonishly oversized. It’s become more natural, their balance is more steady.

When I think of what it means to be a peacemaker, this is the image that comes to mind: Children attempting to walk in their parents’ shoes. Humans attempting to walk in God’s shoes. We are most like God when we are seeking to make peace, meaning to establish justice, on earth.

Blessed are those who try to walk in God’s shoes—even if we stumble and fall again and again—because the practice of peacemaking and cultivating a more just and generous world means that we are embodying the very dream of God for the world.

Reflection:
What does the work of peacemaking mean to you?
Have you ever found yourself in the role of peacemaker?
What did you find meaningful or challenging about it?