What in the World is a Peacemaker?

What in the World is a Peacemaker? Part 1
October 13 2009, 9:42 AM, by Doug Hallock
What in the World is a Peacemaker?
in three parts.
If your head hasn't been in the sand this past week, you know that our nation's President (Barak Obama)
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Whether you agree or disagree with the move by the Committee,
congratulations are in order for the President. When one gets an award like that, one should be
congratulated. Yet, as always it seems, such news brings vocal complaints from many who claim politics
was behind the decision, or that Obama hasn't done "enough" to earn the prize. Following those
complaints come more complaints that the complainers are being judgmental and that they shouldn't
attack such a good president. And, as always it seems, people claiming to be Christ's followers are right
in the battle, on both sides, looking and sounding pretty much like their worldly counterparts.
I've written previously about followers of Jesus who, unlike their leader, join in worldly battles using worldly
weapons stirring up fleshly passions in others. I'll take this blog a different direction today. My thoughts
underlie the question of awarding a "Peace Prize." Just what is a peacemaker? Did the Committee
measure Obama's words and deeds against some standard and find him in compliance? If so, what is
their standard? When Jesus said that peacemakers are "blessed," what sort of people did he have in
mind?
For starters, I'd like to suggest that the idea of peacemaking is of great value to God and Jesus, and
should be of similar value to anyone who claims to follow them. Jesus said also that peacemakers would
be called "the sons of God." By this, he seems to suggest that we who claim to be children of God should
also strive to be peacemakers. But what exactly is peacemaking? Were you to watch a peacemaker in
action, what exactly would you see him do?
Many moderns believe that a peacemaker is one who never offends, who always backs down, and who
always refuses to fight. I'd suggest that while someone like that is a peaceable person, he is not by that
automatically qualified as a peacemaker. In fact, such a person may inflame conflict precisely because he
does not engage when he should.

Others believe that a peacemaker is someone who is more powerful or better armed than his enemy.
“Peace through strength” seems often their mantra. While a bully may be stronger than those who differ
from him, and while they may not rise up against his strength, he by his strength is also not qualified as a
peacemaker.
To really grasp what makes a peacemaker a peacemaker, we need to view the dynamics of war, of
contentions, to see just where the peacemaker must fit in. James (in chapter 4, verse 1) writes that
quarrels and fights (wars are just big quarrels and fights, right?) come from our passions "at war among
us." Our passions? Our emotions, feelings, and urges? He goes on. "You desire and do not have."
Thus, he lays out the basis of fighting. Fighting = passion + wanting + not having. It's as simple as that.
From a kid fighting with a parent, to churches fighting about doctrine, to nations fighting about land, all
fights fit that equation. Some person or group wants something that he or they are not getting. This not
getting tempts us to fire up our passions. But fire us up to what? James continues, "so you murder." Did
you catch that? Not so you yell, scream, hit, plot, or beat. You murder! I've never murdered anyone, and
I bet you've never done so either. So what is James saying?
I believe that James is getting to the heart of things. And to do so, he must clearly state what happens in
our hearts when we want, we're not getting what we want, and our passions get stoked. We are moved to
so devalue our opponent, to so hate or despise him, that we murder him in our hearts.
I think James is applying what Jesus taught him. Jesus put it this way: "You've heard it was said, 'You
shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is
angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council;
and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5:22). Jesus says very clearly that
God's standard for how we treat one another is so high, that all we have to do is lose our temper at
someone, or insult them, and we've crossed the line into a murderously wrong act. Since James heard
this teaching I believe he's referring to that principle. We want. We don't get. Our passions get stoked.
We get angry, we insult, we cross the line in how we should treat our neighbor. Thus, we've treated him
murderously. And we're wrong.
A battle is simply two people both wanting something from the other, neither getting what they want, both
allowing passions to rise, and both treating each another murderously.

Into this fray a peacemaker must wade. If peace is to be made, it is made by intervening in both sides'
lives. If he does not enter fully, taking risk to himself in the process, he will not, he can not make
peace. So into the fray he goes, hoping against hope that his entry will bring peace. But what does he do
in there? How does he minister to the battling parties so that they might stop battling?
That will be my next T.G. entry.
What in the World is a Peacemaker? II
October 13 2009, 9:42 AM, by Doug Hallock
In the last entry, (Part 1), I raised a question about the "standards" of a peacemaker. What must one do
to qualify as an actual peacemaker? We then looked at the true nature of conflict, and how easily it can
be expressed by the equation "want + don't get + passion = conflict." I suggested that a peacemaker must
actually wade into a conflict if he wants to move it toward peace. Today, I'd like us to consider more
deeply what a peacemaker must do as he wades into the conflict. I like to think of it in terms of 5 "R"s.
The first is addressed to the would-be peacemaker.
Risk . . . to the Peacemaker
One must know ahead of time that a peacemaker may be attacked by one or both combatants when he
enters the fray. After all, each combatant has already decided to treat murderously (in his heart) his
opponent over something he's not getting. Our model peacemakers in scripture tell the story simply
enough: Jesus came to bring reconciliation to the Jewish nation, and they crucified him for it. The Apostle
Paul attempted to reconcile factions in the church in Corinth, whose leaders responded by attacking him in
his absence. So too a peacemaker today can face the passions of the very combatants he's trying to
help, as this risk goes with the territory of peacemaking. I believe this is the major reason why modern
Christians tend to run from conflicts rather than help combatants solve them. The peacemaker is one who
faces this risk boldly, and in love, wades on in.
Assuming that someone courageously enters the fray so as to bring peace, I'd suggest that he must lead
each combatant through 3 "R"s in order to help them get to that peace.

Relax . . . the Passions
Remember that conflict comes from unmet desires fired up by passions. Passions provide the drive to
reach unmet goals, to get ungotten wants. And passion is what moves one to murderously treat another.
It may seem nearly heretical to suggest that someone must limit, control, or confine his passions, his
feelings, and his urges. After all, aren't we all "what we feel?" Don't we have the right to give someone
whatever we feel like giving him? The peacemaker must coach combatants to reign in their passions.
If combatants are willing to reign in passions and allow calm and thought to regain the lead in their hearts
and minds, the peacemaker must then help them with the next stage.
Repent . . . of Demands
We are a demanding race. I want. You don't give. I get angry. I rant, grumble, slander, steal, cheat, lie,
stir others against you, or otherwise murderously treat you because you've not given me what I want or
expect. When a peacemaker enters a conflict, he must help each combatant to see that such demanding
is idolatry. When I become willing to mistreat my brother, neighbor, or even my enemy, all of whom God
says I am to love, I have forsaken God's call on my life in order to deal with some other thing I'm not
getting. The definition of idolatry is serving someone or something in place of the God who deserves my
service. When God calls me to love, and I instead mistreat, I am serving my wants and passions, not
God's. The peacemaker must coach each combatant to repent of any demands he makes of his
opponent.
If a peacemaker can move each combatant through these first two stages, there is great hope for the next
one.
Reach . . . toward the Other
Conflicts have history. Each combatant has hurt the other and has been hurt by the other. Such history
tempts each combatant to never again risk relationship with the other. Indeed, much of the conflict stems
precisely from the shrinkage of each combatants' value of the relationship. But the peacemaker must help
each combatant to see that reconciliation and restoration of relationship is God's dream for all relationship,
whether God to man or man to man. Such reaching toward depends not on the past being "clean
enough," but on the combatants becoming "forgiving enough." Forgiveness of past hurts, slights, and

offenses, and wrongs is absolutely essential to the reconciliation of a broken relationship, and the
peacemaker must coach each combatant toward it.
If a peacemaker successfully coaches each combatant through Relaxing, Repenting, and Reaching, he
has moved them to a place where they might experience peace and where they might work on
differences, disagreements, and offenses in a calmer, more thoughtful manner. If both former combatants
will continue on this path, the relationship can again grow stronger even through tough seasons.
But there is one more "R" that must be addressed, again, to the peacemaker.
Require . . . Effort Evenly
We must note that true peacemaking cannot move ahead unless both combatants are led through each of
these stages. It does a relationship no good to hold one party to such difficult steps while allowing the
other combatant to continue with his passionate responses, his demanding, and his refusal to reach out in
love. One cannot coddle the wealthy, while holding the poor to standards, or the other way around. One
cannot coddle a husband while holding a wife to standards, or the other way around. One cannot coddle
Republicans while holding Democrats to standards, or the other way around. One cannot coddle a
supervisor while holding his employee to standards, or the other way around. One cannot coddle a police
officer while holding a suspect or criminal to standards, or the other way around. One cannot coddle the
communists while holding capitalists to standards, or the other way around. For a lasting and true peace,
the peacemaker must insist that both combatants submit to the same set of standards.
When someone applies these standards arbitrarily or haphazardly, he is practicing what the Bible calls
favoritism or injustice. How such favoritism works will be my next T.G. entry.
Father God, thank you for the models of peacemakers that you've given us, and for the powerful examples
in today's world where warring people have been brought together by such activity. I ask that you help all
your people grasp the importance of peacemaking to your kingdom and to the work you want to do in our
lives. Give us the courage to become peacemakers in our homes, workplaces, churches, and even on the
world stage. Protect us from the manipulative people who foster passions and friction in order to gain
followers. Help each of us grow in our ability to walk ourselves through these steps so that we are less

and less prone to respond badly when disappointed in another. And bring peacemakers into our lives
when we stumble.
In Jesus' name, and for His people's sake, Amen.
Peacemaker III -- Favoritism
October 13 2009, 9:42 AM, by Doug Hallock
In my last two posts, I suggested that conflict can be represented by a simple equation: Want + Don't Get
+ Passion = Conflict. I also (following James and Jesus) suggested that we can easily "treat
murderously" folks with whom we are conflicted. Lastly, I suggested that a peacemaker is one who takes
the Risk to help both combatants as they Relax, Repent, and Reach toward one another in an effort to
restore a broken relationship. Then I suggested that a true peacemaker had to Require Effort Evenly of
both parties in a conflict. If a would-be peacemaker only requires the very difficult effort of peace on one
combatant while allowing the other combatant to continue his passionate and sinful attitudes and
practices, then he is committing what James calls favoritism and the Bible calls injustice.
Sadly, such mishandling of peacemaking opportunities is far more rampant today than any of us realize. It
happens in our places of work. It happens in our places of worship. It happens in our schools. It happens
in our politics. Hollywood, Wall Street, Main Street, the Vatican, Asia, Africa, North America and South,
injustice (favoritism) is practiced freely, bringing profit to its beneficiaries while robbing from its victims.
My T.G. blog is dedicated to encouraging the right handling of tension in the Church, and to exposing the
mishandling that goes on way too often. Favoritism, or the practice of injustice, occurs in many of the
churches, denominations, and ministries that make up Christ's Church. I'd like to describe for readers the
dynamics of favoritism and the cost of its practice to the body of Christ and her witness in the world.
Favoritism is a broad sin that conflicts blatantly with the biblical values of justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
If you can picture the blindfolded woman holding the scales of justice, you can see what favoritism does.
Favoritism occurs when "blind justice" peeks under the blindfold to see who is being tried or considered
while weighing what benefit they might bring if treated favorably, or what risk they might bring if treated
unfavorably. We must grasp the selfishness of this sort of act: When considering someone's guilt or

innocence, the unjust or "favoritist" doesn't measure deeds against law or biblical principle. Rather,
he asks "what's in it for me?" and renders his decision on that basis. Not biblical principle or law, but selfprotection
or self-reward guides the verdict, moved by the desires or whims of the judge to either gain
favor or avoid trouble. Favoritism purposely treats some people better than others (or some people worse
than others) according to a self-centered prejudice (prior judgment) rather than according to the objective
rightness or wrongness of their actions.
James introduces the early Church to the concept of favoritism and its evil nature (2:1-9). His illustration
suggests that a man's wealth, or lack thereof, might determine the honor or dishonor to be given. While
that is a specific sort of favoritism or partiality, I believe that the concept is much broader than his
illustration. A pastor might show partiality in dealing with his own family members in the church, or with
those who support him, while mistreating others. Allow me to clarify:
Suppose certain people in the church benefit the church with big tithes, prestige, hard work, or that certain
people are close friends or family of those who lead the church. Leaders might give them "extra grace" as
they sin against other members. They might look the other way when it appears that that they are doing
evil in their workplace or their family. We might fawn over them or go more out of our way to serve them.
We might protect them from attack, even if/when they sin, by minimizing, hiding, and lying.
On the other hand, suppose that this church also has members who are not so wealthy, not so capable of
ministry or service, or not close friends or family of church leaders. We might be extra watchful so as to
catch them when they sin or fail in some way, either in the church or in their workplace or family. We
might be quicker to judge or criticize them. We might attack them by exaggerating, gossiping, slandering,
and selectively exposing details about them. Or we might just pretty much ignore them.
In short, a Christian organization plays favorites when it allows an "in crowd" to exist, and then allows
those outside of it to be treated with less love, with less Christlikeness. James is clear that such behavior
flows from "evil motives." But what's so wrong with such behavior? What's the harm? What's wrong with
a pastor who puts people on the Board who will say "yes" to his ministry efforts and philosophy while
steering others away? Or what's wrong with a church that "kisses up" to the wealthy and successful while
ignoring the poor and downtrodden? How can it hurt the church when such behavior brings wealth to the
church so that they can do more outreach? Isn't Jesus brought glory by more and bigger churches with

igger and nicer buildings and slicker and more polished sermons, flyers, and events? Courting the
wealthy at the expense of the poor is never an option as far as God is concerned. Never.
What cost does such favoritism exact from the Church and her witness to the watching world? I'd suggest
that the divisions in Christ's one Body are the biggest cost. Favoritism is the major reason why every sect
and denomination has become a self-affirming doctrinal eddy, as leadership protects those who remain
"faithful to the (insert your denomination name here) ______________ cause," and often mistreats any
who challenge the tenets of the eddy. Thus, rather than every church, denomination, or ministry being
drawn slowly into the great current of God's truth (Paul's "whole counsel of God") as revealed in scripture,
each is drawn slowly off to the side, into an eddy.
And what is the cost of these divisions to the witness of Christ's Church? From John 13 and John 17 we
have Christ's word that if we are not united, if we are not "one, as God and Christ are one," then the world
has every right to believe that we are not his disciples, and that Christ was not sent by God. Nothing
destroys our witness like the divisions in the church today.
But it's not just churches and ministries that play the partiality game. You and I, and everyone who
names Christ as savior are just as tempted to grant love, mercy, grace only to those who please us, who
have something to offer us. We are also tempted to be more harsh, judgmental, and less than loving to
those who bother us or who pose some sort of risk to us. James says that the cure for our favoritist
temptations is to fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS
YOURSELF." If you're doing this, he says, you're doing well.
Father, because of our selfish nature, we are so easily tempted to partiality, to playing favorites. Help us
see our neighbors through your eyes, and help us love them and minister to them as you would. Protect
us from those who would bribe us to go astray, who would punish us for doing what doesn't please them.
But God help us never return evil for evil. Help us show Christ, even when we're mistreated and
persecuted or abused. And help us teach others to do the same.