I have heard the saying ‘be part of the solution and not the problem’.
It’s a good line. It’s a fine line to mention when people want to complain and moan about situations.
Reflecting on it today, though, I was lead to what Jesus said in the so-called Sermon on the Mount
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.
Being a peacemaker is certainly being a part of the solution rather than the problem. Opening that concept up though, and applying that in the messy world of relationships with the diversity of characters and variety of responses and reactions is not straightforward.
Bob and Jim hae had a long-running issue with each other in church. Bob has never felt Jim was exercising his position as a pastor properly. He felt Jim was being lax on important issue and was doing little in the way of nuruturing members. Things got worst and they had an argument which lead to Jim forever being suspicious of Bob, and Bob all the more enraged at the incompetence of who was meant to be the leader.
Choosing to keep a distance from him so as to avoid further dispute, Bob thinks he’s doing both parties a favour. Gerry, though, a close friend of Bob’s knows different. He knows that as long as Bob does not resole the issue with Jim, then it could affect othere relations.
Gerry managed to get Bob and Jim to talk to each other in a bid to repair the breach. As it happened the conversation made things worse, as both used the opportunity to let the other know what they really felt. No holds barred. It was not pretty. When Gerry was finally able to bring the conersation to an end, he thought things had got a lot worse than before, such was the frank exchange.
Actually Gerry’s actions contributed to peace more than he thought. As time transpired and the two men considered each other’s words in the light of Jesus’ example, began to take the venom from their emotions and consider carefully what the other person was saying. Peace didn’t roll out automatically. Yet both were committed to Christ, and the interention of Gerry gae them a middle man well-respected by both parties to put matters.
It took some difficult months of learning to trust and the cost of vulnerability, transparency and honesty, but in it all the central point of loving as Jesus loed, helped the two brothers to be less about defensiveness and accusatory approaches.
That episode reminded me very clearly, that following the way of Christ is about being a peacemaker. Being that is not a straightforward matter of bringing a temporary halt to conflict. In fact sometimes the heart of making peace is to explore the ugliness and horror of the emotions involved, to expose those to the light of Christ and then be reconciled to each other in the light of Christ.
It is one thing to engage in that activity in the familiar surroundings of the church context. You can imagine the challenge of building bridges, creating conersations and rejoicing in reconciliation in relations beyond the church. You can imagine it, but then we’re called to be about that business too as part of the Kingdom plan.
The same Spirit that allowed the Son to break down the wall of partition and make two people one, can do the same in bringing people together from different backgrounds and with different stories.
In our peacemaking activities we declare to the world we live out as part of regular life how we’re a part of the solution as we seek the way of peace.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 