Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers” – But peacemaking is not for the faint of heart!

Peace in Hebrew is “shalom” – not the absence of war, stress or anxiety (that would be escapism). Shalom is wholeness, completeness, fulfillment, inner rest, living without deficiency or lack.

So peace here in the sermon on the mount and throughout scripture is not merely the absence of conflict. When left to ourselves, conflict or pseudo peace is the result – that is like our default setting. The peacemakers peace is something that has to be made. It’s something that the peacemaker has to work towards.

To be Jesus-centered peacemakers that step towards conflict with curiosity, humility and self-sacrificial love.

How in the world do we do this?!

Here are the steps we outlines in our Peacemaking in Polarized Times training:

• Step 1 – Self awareness
• Step 2 – Reframe Your Goals
• Step 3 – Listen
• Step 4 – Emotional Intelligence
• Step 5 – Dialogue (rather than debate)

Resources:

• The Good Life Belongs to the Peacemakers – Sermon by Pastor Steph
• Peacemaking Participant Workbook
• Peacemaking in Polarized Times Slides
• Resources can be found here
• You can join upcoming trainings being hosted by our partner churches – sign up here!
• Media coverage of our training on MPR

When it comes to election seasons – my heart is that as a church we would model something different than the world.

Regardless of who you vote for or if you vote, you are welcome in our community. My hope is that we will prayerfully:

• give our primary allegiance to the Kingdom of God and Jesus as our leader.
• see our politics through The Way of Jesus, not Jesus through our politics.
• be motivated by sacrificial love and engaging others in a posture of humility even when it costs us relationally.
• stay curious about why our neighbors, friends and family see things differently and choose to listen deeply.
• step towards conflict with the goal of peacemaking not merely changing other’s minds.