You may be familiar with the term tribalism as it applies to politics, sports, or conflict among nations. Concerning sports, we root for our team and they can do no wrong. On the other hand, the opposing team can do no right.
The same is true for tribalism in politics and, unfortunately, conflict among nations.
If we want to be counted among the blessed mentioned in the seventh Beatitude, we must give up our bent toward tribalism.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5.9).
Children of God take on the character of their Heavenly Father. We know that God so loved the world because He sent His only Son into the world to die on the cross and rise from the dead, giving everyone a chance to experience the full measure of life (see John 3.16).
If we resemble His character, we will love as Jesus loved, or at least try very hard to do so.
We cannot be engaged in tribalism, seeing one group of humanity as good and the other part of humanity as evil, if we want to be shown to be children of God.
The Pope as a Peacemaker
In his Easter address, the Pope stated what should be obvious to all of us: more and better weapons of war do not make for peace. He encouraged places where there is extreme conflict among people to find a way to reach a peaceful settlement.
In another address, the Pope stated that the only ones who profit from war are the people who make billions of dollars producing weapons of war.
We may not have the Pope’s platform to act as a peacemaker in the world, but we do have access to heaven through prayer.
One of my favorite stories about peacemaking comes from World War II. A group of prominent religious leaders traveled the country with a united goal: to pray for an end to the war’s hostilities.
Their prayers specifically focused on the spread of God’s love throughout the world. They believed their success could be measured by a decrease in battlefield casualties.
This story exemplifies how we can all contribute to God’s peacemaking process.
Defeating Enemies
How does God defeat His enemies? He could win by squashing us like a bug, or by destroying the world and starting all over again.
Instead, He sent His Son into the world to allow humans to do the worst thing that could be done to another person on the cross.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life (Romans 5.10).
By His grace, God brought us into a friendship relationship with Himself. How does God defeat His enemies? He does so by loving us and making us His friends.
Instead of taking sides in conflicts, be it politics or war, we can unite as God’s children.
We can pray for God’s love and the sacrifice of His Son to become so real in people’s lives that they will become His friends and put an end to hostility.
I’m sure you are familiar with the petition in the Lord’s Prayer.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6.12)
When I pray for people in conflict, this is how I ask God to fulfill this petition: “Lord, please flood us with so much of Your forgiveness that we can’t help but forgive others.”
Frank Laubach lived during a time of world wars and great world turbulence. He often asked his readers to pray short prayers, asking for God’s love and forgiveness to rule the earth.
We don’t have great platforms of influence on Earth, but we can enter Heaven’s throne room and ask the Father to shower His love and forgiveness on the earth tangibly.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It can be found on the Bob Spradlin YouTube channel.
Real Voices 