A Christian View of Peacemaking
By Joshua White on 26 May 2007
Honored guests, distinguished ulama, friends: Assalam aleikum (peace be upon you). It is a joy to be here with you. My Urdu is poor, but I want to say a few words, because this issue of peace and religious understanding is on my heart. And I believe that, especially at this time, especially after September 11, this meeting is neccesary.
It inspires me to hear all of your views about peace. And I am honored to share a few words about the Christian view of peace.
As my brothers have said from their religious point of view, the Christian point of view also places peace at the center of a good society.
What does that mean? As religious people, we must take peace as our goal, because peace is something that God loves. In the Zabur (Psalms) it says that God is a God of peace.
But peace is not just an objective that we wait for. We can not simply say, “Inshallah (God willing), in heaven there will be peace!” and then continue our lives, stirring up trouble.
No — the Angil (New Testament) says, again and again, that peace is a way of living. Jesus, peace be upon him, in one of his most famous addresses to the people, said, “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).
For many years, Christian scholars have debated the meaning of this statement by Jesus. On the one hand, they say, it means that those who make peace will be given great reward and blessing by God for their work.
But on the other hand, they say, it means that it is the peacemakers who are most in need of blessing, because their work is so difficult. Jesus said that the peacemakers will have great troubles.
The meaning is this: to make peace is honorable, but very hard. The peacemaker receives blessing from God, but also needs blessing from God.
Christians believe that Jesus gave us a perfect example of a peacemaker: he showed us how to make peace, but also showed us the struggles that face a peacemaker.
Jesus made peace in many ways. He spent time with the poor and disreputable people. He welcomed minorities. He opposed violence and retaliation. He was of humble heart. And he demonstrated a new way for people to love one another. He was truly a peacemaker.
And because he was a peacemaker, he faced a great struggle. He was dishonored, imprisoned, and killed by his own people. They feared Jesus, and they feared that his way of peace would challenge their traditional religious view; would challenge their power; and would challenge their social standing.
So we see the irony: That Jesus — who was the most peaceful man who ever lived — was treated as a criminal in his time. We see that peacemaking is so very hard!
The Angil says another thing about peacemaking. It says, “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:18).
I am from the state of Oregon in America. It is, in my opinion, the most beautiful state; and it is also a famous agricultural area. So this image from the Angil is well known to me: We harvest that which we plant. If we plant peace, we can expect a great harvest.
For this reason, this conference is so important. When I return to America, most people will not believe when I tell them that I was in Peshawar talking about peace with Muslims and Sikhs and Hindus and Christians. Their view is that Pakistan is very dangerous — the country of the Kalashnikov! But we know that this view is not right.
I am still very young and inexperienced. For young people like me, all of you set an excellent example of peacemaking. In these times, I believe that we all must be peacemakers — people who plant peace in our countries and in our religious communities.
We have among us some different views on society and religion. But the call to plant peace is shared by all of us. That is why it is an honor to be with you.
I will pray for this work that you have begun here, and I ask that you pray for our work in building understanding and planting peace in America.
You are peacemakers. And blessings on all of you.
Thank you, and Khuda hafiz (God be your protector).
Last updated 12 January 2009