The Beatitudes - Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)
While listening to a conversation between Krista Tippett and the poet Michael Longley on the NPR program “On Being” I heard Mr. Longley refer to Jesus “as a proto-socialist. And the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, are as good a system to live by as any that I can think of.” Of course, I thought. I have long believed that Jesus was advocating a shared approach to using resources and taking care of each other. This led to my decision to revisit the Beatitudes. It has been several days since I have written on one of them. Today, however, seems a good day to visit Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God.
The Greek word for peacemaker is eirénopoios which literally means a peace maker. One of the definitions given in Strong’s Concordance of the Greek word is pacific. This was not a word I knew other than in reference to the Pacific Ocean. The word pacific is defined by Oxforddictionary.com as “peaceful in character or intent.” Interestingly I just talked to a young man who is a sophomore in high school. He told me he has been bullied in school and was responding by getting depressed. I asked him how tall he was now. He said 6’1” – not small or short by any means. I then asked how tall he felt when he is depressed and he responded “one or two centimeters.” He is, at some level, internalizing the message of the bully who is attempting to make himself feel better by making someone else feel bad about themselves – by attempting to make them smaller than he is. My young friend does not want to become violent in response to the bully, but, on the other hand, becoming small and depressed is not working well either. His dance/stance is one of passivity or retreat which, in my mind, does not result in peacemaking. The bully is still essentially alone even if he/she has a lot of associates who are also bullying. My young friend is still alone and now very tiny and feeling depressed. Neither are at peace and their relationship can hardly be described as peaceful. What behavior then offers the possibility of peace?
As most of us know from basic physics, systems are systems are systems. All parts of the system have to function as an interdependent unit. If one changes any part of the system, all parts of the system are affected by the change. In the system between the bully and my young friend the system is intact as long as the bully continues to bully and as long as my young friend continues to react with shrinking. The bully beneath the costume of bad a bully is still alone and insecure. The young man who is the recipient of the bullying is still internalizing that he is the issue and miserable. Either of them could change the dynamics of the system. The bully could extend a hand of friendship. If he did that my young friend could refuse it and then respond in active or passive anger. Switching sides in that way would not change the basic dynamics of the system. Another possibility is that my young friend could accept the hand of friendship knowing that the bullying behavior was a result of the pain of feeling not enough. Another way of changing the system would be for my young friend to respond to the bully by standing tall and sending waves of love to the little boy who is living beneath the bullying costume. If my young friend did that then the bully might continue to try to reclaim the previous system, but when it did not work he would eventually have to leave or respond to the positive waves of love. Either response by the bully would acknowledge that the system had changed.
Another way of stating this is:
· B = RF (Bully leads to reaction friend) = BS (balanced system)
· B = AF (Bully leads to Action friend) = UBS (Unbalanced system)
· P/B = RF (person beneath bully leads to reaction friend) = UBS (unbalanced system)
· P/B = AF (person beneath bully leads to action friend)= BS (balanced system)
We know that none of us can change the behavior of another. On the other hand, not reacting leaves an unbalanced system which cannot exist indefinitely. Being a peacemaker does not, in my mind, guarantee peace but allows for the possibility of peace. Judas could have refused to respond in a positive way to the embrace and kiss of Jesus. The prostitute could have refused the offer of love from Jesus. She could have said, “What’s your game? I offer one thing. Something wrong with you? You cannot pay? Get out of here.” Either she or Jesus could have changed the dynamics of the relationship (the system). Yet Jesus offered love and she responded with love/acceptance. This resulted in a balanced system. Judas accepted the embrace and kiss of Jesus. This resulted in a balanced system.
Jesus was a peacemaker. At times, one or more of the disciples got confused by his behavior, but in the long run they accept the peace he offered.
In some churches, it is now customary to greet each other with “Peace be with you.” I have noticed that some individuals are very uncomfortable with this offer and may back away. Yet, some of those offering the hand of peace will continue to extend a distant offer of peace thus allowing the other person the comfort of distance. Others may read the discomfort of closeness as a rebuff and get angry. If one continues to genuinely offer “peace be with you” almost always the other person will accept even though they might still need the comfort of physical distance.
Blessed are the peacemaker. This holiday season as we move toward the challenges of 2017 we can all be peacemakers. When we hold on to that solid place in our heart peace will come – not immediately perhaps but it will come.
The Beatitude says that the peacemakers will be called children of God. God reaches out with love. We accept or do not accept. When we stand tall and proud in love we are the peacemakers who are imitating Jesus and thus, are the children of God.
Written November 20, 2016
While listening to a conversation between Krista Tippett and the poet Michael Longley on the NPR program “On Being” I heard Mr. Longley refer to Jesus “as a proto-socialist. And the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, are as good a system to live by as any that I can think of.” Of course, I thought. I have long believed that Jesus was advocating a shared approach to using resources and taking care of each other. This led to my decision to revisit the Beatitudes. It has been several days since I have written on one of them. Today, however, seems a good day to visit Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God.
The Greek word for peacemaker is eirénopoios which literally means a peace maker. One of the definitions given in Strong’s Concordance of the Greek word is pacific. This was not a word I knew other than in reference to the Pacific Ocean. The word pacific is defined by Oxforddictionary.com as “peaceful in character or intent.” Interestingly I just talked to a young man who is a sophomore in high school. He told me he has been bullied in school and was responding by getting depressed. I asked him how tall he was now. He said 6’1” – not small or short by any means. I then asked how tall he felt when he is depressed and he responded “one or two centimeters.” He is, at some level, internalizing the message of the bully who is attempting to make himself feel better by making someone else feel bad about themselves – by attempting to make them smaller than he is. My young friend does not want to become violent in response to the bully, but, on the other hand, becoming small and depressed is not working well either. His dance/stance is one of passivity or retreat which, in my mind, does not result in peacemaking. The bully is still essentially alone even if he/she has a lot of associates who are also bullying. My young friend is still alone and now very tiny and feeling depressed. Neither are at peace and their relationship can hardly be described as peaceful. What behavior then offers the possibility of peace?
As most of us know from basic physics, systems are systems are systems. All parts of the system have to function as an interdependent unit. If one changes any part of the system, all parts of the system are affected by the change. In the system between the bully and my young friend the system is intact as long as the bully continues to bully and as long as my young friend continues to react with shrinking. The bully beneath the costume of bad a bully is still alone and insecure. The young man who is the recipient of the bullying is still internalizing that he is the issue and miserable. Either of them could change the dynamics of the system. The bully could extend a hand of friendship. If he did that my young friend could refuse it and then respond in active or passive anger. Switching sides in that way would not change the basic dynamics of the system. Another possibility is that my young friend could accept the hand of friendship knowing that the bullying behavior was a result of the pain of feeling not enough. Another way of changing the system would be for my young friend to respond to the bully by standing tall and sending waves of love to the little boy who is living beneath the bullying costume. If my young friend did that then the bully might continue to try to reclaim the previous system, but when it did not work he would eventually have to leave or respond to the positive waves of love. Either response by the bully would acknowledge that the system had changed.
Another way of stating this is:
· B = RF (Bully leads to reaction friend) = BS (balanced system)
· B = AF (Bully leads to Action friend) = UBS (Unbalanced system)
· P/B = RF (person beneath bully leads to reaction friend) = UBS (unbalanced system)
· P/B = AF (person beneath bully leads to action friend)= BS (balanced system)
We know that none of us can change the behavior of another. On the other hand, not reacting leaves an unbalanced system which cannot exist indefinitely. Being a peacemaker does not, in my mind, guarantee peace but allows for the possibility of peace. Judas could have refused to respond in a positive way to the embrace and kiss of Jesus. The prostitute could have refused the offer of love from Jesus. She could have said, “What’s your game? I offer one thing. Something wrong with you? You cannot pay? Get out of here.” Either she or Jesus could have changed the dynamics of the relationship (the system). Yet Jesus offered love and she responded with love/acceptance. This resulted in a balanced system. Judas accepted the embrace and kiss of Jesus. This resulted in a balanced system.
Jesus was a peacemaker. At times, one or more of the disciples got confused by his behavior, but in the long run they accept the peace he offered.
In some churches, it is now customary to greet each other with “Peace be with you.” I have noticed that some individuals are very uncomfortable with this offer and may back away. Yet, some of those offering the hand of peace will continue to extend a distant offer of peace thus allowing the other person the comfort of distance. Others may read the discomfort of closeness as a rebuff and get angry. If one continues to genuinely offer “peace be with you” almost always the other person will accept even though they might still need the comfort of physical distance.
Blessed are the peacemaker. This holiday season as we move toward the challenges of 2017 we can all be peacemakers. When we hold on to that solid place in our heart peace will come – not immediately perhaps but it will come.
The Beatitude says that the peacemakers will be called children of God. God reaches out with love. We accept or do not accept. When we stand tall and proud in love we are the peacemakers who are imitating Jesus and thus, are the children of God.
Written November 20, 2016
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