Blessed are the Shalom-makers! (Matthew 5:9) One of the speakers at the SCUPE Congress, “Peacemakers in a Culture of Violence”, observed that God has called us to peace-making, not peace-keeping. Peace keepers maintain the status quo, make sure that nothing upsets the equilibrium, keep conflict from erupting. Peace-makers, on the other hand, are world-changers.
The church, unfortunately, has often been satisfied to keep the peace and has taught us be nice and polite and non-confrontational. The church has become a collaborator in maintaining the culture of violence. But God calls us to a much more challenging task–pulling down strongholds and taking captive every argument and pretension that inhibit the coming of God’s shalom.
Peace-making requires us to name the powers that bind and confront the powers that enslave. Peace-making is prophetic and dangerous. It means standing with the victims of violence. It means spending ourselves on caring for the wounded. It means calling for an end to the bloodshed. It means boycotting those who perpetrate the violence and profit from it. It means action. It means going before “Pharaoh” by the power of the Spirit and saying, “Let my people go!”
Let the church rise!
Tongue on Fire 