05 Aug Peacemakers in a Broken World

We live in ever shifting times in the world and as of late, I’ve been seeing a lot of “gloom and doom” posts. Although I understand how things can appear to be getting worse around us, I like to step back and look at things from a historical and global perspective. These eyes show me that we’ve always lived in a fallen, broken world where many times the realities of sin smack us in the face and we are not rescued from tragedy, pain and devastation. There’s a tension between the good news of the gospel that is alive in many of our hearts yet is not revealed in the world around us.

Most of you have probably seen the influx of shootings nationwide towards police officers. I’ve found myself devastated on both sides of the spectrum as I’ve watched the stories and wept. Just last week a police officer was gunned down in San Diego, our hometown. It wasn’t a name I recognized but a few days later I learned that the officers family lived a few streets from our home and that last year his kids and mine attended the same elementary school. This hit a little closer home for me. Literally.

I sat down with my oldest son who’s 10 and asked him a few questions about it…

How do you feel about this police officer dying?

Sad. I think his family is probably very depressed.

Were you surprised that a police officer got shot?

No because there have been a lot of shootings all over of police officers and we have a lot who live around us and people make bad choices.

Why do you think all these shootings are happening?

Because the fight of Martin Luther King Jr is still going on

You went to a school last year with a lot of different races of kids, was anyone ever mean to each other because of race?

No, we just all played with each other.

What do you think communities could do to help with the shootings?

….that’s hard. I don’t’ know.

I read a story about a white police officer that held a picnic for his community and invited all races. What do you think about that?

That’s cool. It’s doing fun things so that people become friends.

It’s stirring up love and not hate, right?

Right. Love can overcome anger. I like the ribbons at our park and the memorial service but communities should have more parties before shootings.

I love to see a child perspective especially this boys. He’s so simple and matter of fact. He’s the kid that told me in pre-k that his best friend was this little boy who was getting in trouble all the time. I said why is he your best friend? He replied, “Because he’s like the Grinch. He has pain in his heart but he’s still good.” And true to the story, this kid had a tough home life but even my 5-year-old knew there’s more to a person than how they act out of pain.

It’s so easy to get weary and calloused. Can we believe and fight for the goodness of God despite the world we see around us? I don’t believe the world now is any worse than history tells us of the past but I do believe that the fight is as Edmond Burke coined “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing”. This is our fight in a world of darkness constantly needing our light.

So I am asking myself these things… What can we do to stir up love? What are tangible things we can do? Sometimes big problems feel so untouchable. But what can we do with what’s right around us. Hebrews 10: 23-24 says “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” One of my favorite authors Jen Hatmaker posted something a few weeks ago in regards to all the world events going on and it rang so loud in my heart. I’ll leave you with her words and lets start the conversation… What can we do?

“Calling all peacemakers.

Who will broker peace among us? Who will do this hard and holy work? Who will go between people that fear and harm each other and build bridges?

We have to.

Do what you can today to create peace. Forgive someone. Call someone you’ve been meaning to encourage. Invite someone over that operates way outside your lane. Eat lunch in a different part of town and tip 40%. Offer kind words to someone that may be especially hurting and scared this week. Choose grace when you could choose barbs. Pray deeply and sincerely. Believe the peaceful man from Nazareth knew what he was talking about when he told us to forgive, love enemies, defend the innocent, lay down our rights for others.

Calling all peacemakers.”

Best~  Autumn