“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9

There is a difference between wanting peace and making peace.

Most of us want peace.

We like things settled.

We would rather avoid arguments, tension and awkward conversations.

But Jesus doesn’t say, Blessed are the peace-lovers.

He says:

“Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Making suggests action.

Sometimes a peacemaker is the person who refuses to join in the gossip.

The one who lowers their voice instead of raising it.

The one who listens to both sides.

The one who says, Perhaps there is another way.

The one who brings calm into a room instead of adding to the tension.

None of those things sound particularly dramatic.

But perhaps that’s how peace spreads.

One conversation.

One choice.

One person deciding not to add more anger to an already angry world.

Yesterday we thought about making peace in our own relationships.

Today the circle gets wider.

Where might you carry peace today?

Into your home?

Your workplace?

Your community?

Even into an online conversation?

You may not be able to change the whole atmosphere.

But you can decide what you bring into it.

Carry this today

Wherever I go today, I can choose to bring peace rather than add to the noise.

Prayer

God of peace,
make me a peacemaker today.
Help me to listen before I speak,
to calm rather than inflame,
to understand rather than assume,
and wherever I go,
let me carry something of your peace with me.
Amen.