When the World Turns Violent

A friend recently asked me, “What can we do as Christians when we see the world becoming such a violent place?” It is a good question with no easy answers. It is a question that all Christians should wrestle with, at least if we want to be relevant for our world. Violence is all around — beheadings in Iraq, missile strikes and suicide bombings in Israel, racial tensions and violence in St. Louis, war in Ukraine … and these are just the places in the headlines. What about violence in homes, behind closed doors? Violence surrounds us. It can leave us feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about what difference we can make. It can leave us fearful and angry. 

Yet, there is another way. Thinking about all of this, I stumbled once more upon the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NRSV). Blessed are those who work against the violence of the world and courageously stand for God’s peace! Jesus was so serious about this point that he says those who work for peace will be called the children of God. In Greek, it is literally “sons of God”, those who represent God’s own family. As Christians we can’t avoid our call to be peacemakers in a violent world, not if we are serious about following Jesus.

To be a Christian peacemaker today, though, doesn’t mean we stand idly by while injustice happens around us. Just the opposite! It means we call out the violence and injustices that we see. It means our hearts break for the victims of violence. It means we get angry when we see others suffer. Yet, it also means we dedicate ourselves to working for reconciliation and peace-filled hearts. It means we don’t resort to violence to solve our problems (violence of words or actions), but rather we speak truth, with gentleness, firmness, and love.  We actively work to make things better without contributing any more to the brokenness.

To be honest, most of us will never be called upon to solve problems like those in the Middle East or the Ukraine. Rather, we will be peacemakers in our homes and families, in our e-mails and lunch conversations, in our churches and communities, and in the company of our friends. Whenever we live as peacemakers, we are standing as children of God, no matter how big or small the issue. We can make a difference today! We can take a stand against violence around the world and right next door! As we do, the world will change — slowly, gently, one heart at a time.

Lord, make us instruments of your peace!

Brett

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen.