9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God – Matthew 5:9
In these upside down teachings of Jesus we find a hole in our theology of peace. It is easy for us to be so entrenched in nationalism and self-preservation that we miss how revolutionary the peace of God is. This trait is what led Him to the cross in spite of the war of men. His was a full surrender in the face of such worldly chaos. The peace He brought was violent, but it was a violence turned toward self before others. His surrender was not necessarily to man as much as it was Kingdom minded.
When we practice peace, we usher in the Kingdom of God a little bit more. This backwards Kingdom is established in peace with God and man as it was in the Garden. Peace makes us children of God because it recalls the days before sin and aggression. Peace is therefore a Holy moment of paternal clarity. It is a reunion with our Father and a declaration against the selfish violence of man. Peace is anything but stagnant.
Peace unites us with God by denying the desire in us to get ahead, to make them pay, and to rise to the top. Peace levels the ego so alive in our flesh; it tells of a better way.
Today, seek peace. In your conflicts, relationships, and thought life, may it consume the wall of your existence.
Lord, may your Kingdom come
Matt simon blog 