For years in our nation, the efforts to divide and foment conflict and even violence have increased, as those who are desperate to hold onto their power and wealth have pitted citizen against citizen, have actively discriminated against those who are not just like them and have attempted to create a climate of intolerance for any who are not white, misogynist, racist, homophobic, islamophobic and nationalistic.
This does not make for peace.
Peace (Shalom in Hebrew; Eireinei in Greek) is centered on well-being, completeness and wholeness with justice, which leads to a climate of harmony, civility and even unity.
Where there are not the things that make for peace, there cannot be peace. Where equality and equitable opportunities, justice and respect are not present, there cannot be peace.
This is why the prophet Jeremiah lamented that people claimed "Peace, peace" when there was no peace, because those with power and wealth treated God's children shamefully without any conscience. (Jeremiah 6:13-15; 8:11-13)
This is why Jesus said that the peace He came to bring was different from the world's peace (in his time and place the Pax Romana, which was brutal oppression to control people into submission and not real peace (John 14:27), and lamented that the people refused to recognize the things that make for peace, which would be their doom (Luke 19:41-44).
And why Paul picked up on that theme to admonish the people to choose to pursue the things that make for peace (Romans 14:19).
If we want there to be an absence of conflict and war, and want there to be harmony and unity, we must value the things that make for peace and unity for ALL people. We cannot promote division and conflict and expect an absence of strong, even violent reaction. We cannot pretend that we value peace while remaining silent as inequities are promoted around us to benefit the few at the expense of many among us. We cannot expect order when the values of the culture in which we live are out of order and benefit us over others around us. There cannot be peace or unity until we pursue the things of peace and unity.
We must value everyone having enough, so that they do not have within them a struggle just to survive as they witness others living with opulent wealth and unlimited power in their lives. We must make all having enough our pursuit.
We must value everyone having equal respect, so that some do not perceive a lack of value for themselves as others tout their status above them. We must make all having equal respect our pursuit.
We must value everyone having equal opportunities, so that some do not experience lack while seeing others thrive. We must make all having equal opportunities our pursuit.
We must value everyone having equal justice, so that some do not experience unjust discrimination while others injure others with impunity. We must make all having equal justice our pursuit.
We must value everyone, having not just the tolerance of others, but the celebration of the other for who they are and what they have to contribute to the whole body. We must make all having equal value our pursuit.
Our values for Shalom/Eireinei must be our standard and our pursuit, and our policies must bear them out.
If we want peace, we must live Agape Love, which is not a feeling but committed action on behalf of the other, even stranger or enemy and especially the most vulnerable among us.
If we have that selfless, unconditional love for others, it will mean a better world for us, ultimately.
If we do not pursue these things that make for peace, we will have some cry "Peace" when there is none for many because of how some have lived out of greed, hatred, lust for power, desire for status, and "Unity" after some have created division and then want to avoid the consequences for doing so. If we do not pursue the things that make for Shalom for all people, we will ultimately meet our doom as a nation, a society, a world.
If we want Peace and Unity, all must value Peace and Unity and put out in the world around them the things that make for Peace and Unity. Until then, the cynicism, the duplicity and the hypocrisy will continue as some strive to have all the wealth, power and status for themselves and do hateful things to deprive others of any of it, all while expecting there to be a lack of consequences for themselves through it all.
Are we ready for something different?
Pastor Jamie
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