I will make for you a covenant on that day with the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land; and I will make you lie down in safety.
- Hosea 2:18
The mechanisms of war and human violence consistently show up in the media and in literature as a means to an end. We are told that we must go to war in order to establish peace. The problem with this is that war and violence often take on a godlike character and play a false role in history. The truth is: violence breeds violence. The war in Iraq is no small example of this.
Then we encounter the story of Jesus Christ and we come to a startling realization: In a world where humans try to establish peace by making war, God sends his Son to die under the weight of sin and to rise in newness of life.
Paradoxically, God triumphs over the power of evil and reconciles creation to himself through the violence of the cross. Through the blood of Jesus’ cross, God establishes peace in the world. In Jesus, God shares the suffering of humanity and offers us life. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” says Jesus.
And so, it’s our responsibility to “make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy” (Hebrews 12.14). God is calling us to choose love over power, the cross over control, and peace over revolt!
There is a grassroots campaign underway in Canada calling for the creation of a cabinet-level Department of Peace. This Department would work for the elimination of nuclear weapons and encourage global reductions in conventional weapons. The Minister of Peace would speak for the millions of Canadians who long to see a return to Canada’s traditional and necessary roles of peacekeeping, peacemaking, and peace building in international affairs. A Civilian Peace Service trained in non-violent conflict transformation would be created providing alternatives to military action in volatile situations. And peace curriculum would be developed for all educational levels. (To learn more about this campaign go to: http://www.departmentofpeace.ca/index.php)
So where does the church stand in all of this? The Bible says, “Depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34.14; 1 Peter 3.11). Peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5.22). And Jesus says that the peacemakers will be called children of God (Matthew 5.9). The same grace that brings us salvation impels us to work for peace and justice on God’s good earth. The shape this takes will vary from person to person but the calling remains the same. So let us remain faithful to our calling to work for peace!
A Prayer:
Lord, make me an instrument of thy 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; and where there is sadness, joy.
- Francis of Assisi
