Peace In the Midst of Conflict

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God. Conflict is everywhere,
In a classic Winston Churchill comeback, Lady Astor once said,
“If you were my husband, I’d put poison in your coffee.”
Churchill responded with cutting wit:
“If YOU were my wife, I’d drink it.”
We laugh at such sarcasm,
but it reveals that all of us are predisposed to conflict.
Some of us have clashed with so many people,
that we don’t really know how to live peaceably with others.
It’s easy to be naïve about peace,
because it is indefinable in our church, in our relationships, in our culture, and in our world.
Confusion traces back to the book of Genesis.
Humans have been at war with God ever since Adam and Eve sinned.
Siblings have been in conflict since the days of Cain and Abel,
In the midst of this continuous conflict and incessant strife,
Jesus says “Blessed are the peacemakers",
The scripture paraphrased says:
“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight.
You discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family when you learn how to make peace.
Hebrews 13:20 refers to God as the “God of peace”
Isaiah 9:6 describe Jesus as the “Prince of peace.”
Peace is not merely the absence of activity. (Quitting isn’t it)
Peace is not just getting away from reality. (Not vacations)
In the Old Testament, the word peace is shalom,
It is the state of wholeness and harmony that is intended in all relationships.
Peace with God – that’s the vertical dimensionPeace of God – this takes place internally Peace with others – when we have peace with God and we experience the peace of God,
we can then extend peace horizontally
In Numbers 6:24-26,
Moses uses these words when blessing His people:
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you PEACE.