“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
Did you attend a high school where fights broke out on campus? When this happens, there are generally three types of people: Just War Theorists, Pacifists, and Peacemakers. Just War Theorists are the ones who gather around the fight and enjoy watching it happen. Pacifists are the ones who find no interest in fights and want nothing to do with it. Peacemakers are the ones who actually get in the middle of the fight to break it up. Peacemakers have to be willing to enter into conflict in order to bring about peace. This is especially true when it comes to relationships and communities. Relationships or communities that do not have healthy conflicts are, at best, shallow, immature, or insincere. While we should not love getting into conflicts, we should not try to avoid them. What Jesus wants for His people is to enter into conflict in a healthy way, because when we do, healthy conflict leads to communication, clarity, and closeness.
