I was going to say something in this post about what I learned a few weeks ago. Instead, it seems more timely to speak of peace.
It’s been a rough week for our nation. Conflict is a mild description for what’s going on between multiple groups of otherwise civil people. Buffalo Springfield said it well: “Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong.”
My pastor, Bryan Dunagan, spoke today about the seventh beatitude – blessed are the peacemakers…
He said that conflict is not the enemy – it’s what we do with it that counts. Avoiding conflict is not the same as making peace. Like first responders – or marines running towards the fire – we must not run from conflict. We have to move towards it.
Jesus specifically said “peace makers,” not “peace lovers.” We have a responsibility, if you consider yourself a child of God, to make peace, to take the high road, to go the extra mile. And even to turn the other cheek.
In our culture of hyper competition, it’s not cool and certainly not competitive to say, “I’m sorry.” It’s much cooler and makes for a better action flick to listen to the dark angel on your shoulder urging you to get even because you got hurt – reminding you that payback is not just okay, it’s expected. Cheek turning makes for bad ratings.
So now it comes down to your choices. You can raise your voice in outrage or you can pray for peace.
And if you choose the latter, you can pray for the other side to finally see the light and agree with your side – or you can pray to be an instrument of peace. Saint Francis said it best:
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.
Choose wisely.
You can see Dunagan’s excellent sermon here when it’s available.
Peace out.
The Paceline 
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