Hermitage Note: The Hard Work Of Peacemaking

This political scene is really a sad scenario being played out.

In a definite sense it is disheartening, especially when our hopes are for something far better than all the nasty polarization that continues to be generated, throwing sparks wherever and whenever the polar opposites meet.

Where national politics are concerned, we follow what's happening only enough to be somewhat in the know of current events. The atmosphere that these politics creates wants to draw us in deeper. That drawing force has a lot more to it than mere human opinions. Anywhere … everywhere … there is divisiveness and disunity, there will always and everywhere be demonic forces behind the scenes manipulating those who choose to be players furthering the divisiveness and disunity.

We have discovered that we cannot see or hear too much of it. We choose to resist it. We choose to tune it out as much as possible.

It really amounts to a Philippians 4:8 thing.

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

The simple truth of the matter is that we become what we give our affections to.

What we give our affections to overtakes and overwhelms us. Our passions take rule over us and then entirely ruin us. In our ruled and ruined condition, we are unable to see through the cataracts that rob us of the clearer spiritual vision. Without this clearer spiritual vision, we will never be able to discern the forces that are at work to incite the principal evil passions that vie to destroy us.

Gluttony, Lust or Fornication, Avarice or Love of money,

Dejection or Sadness, Anger, Despondency or Listlessness, Vainglory, Pride

Our own passions become our personal dope of choice. As long as we are able to personally justify these principal evil passions in our lives, we are yet captives of well-rehearsed spiritual beings whose only goal is to lead souls to perdition.

Our interior peace has become entirely too precious to us to compromise or pridefully and angrily sacrifice it on the altar of politics. So here we stand in the middle looking both ways while shaking our heads at the mess and all the while praying, “Lord, have mercy.” [Truly only God can change what is happening in this country. To change what is happening in this country he is going to have to change a lot of hearts.] We have discovered that standing here in the middle … refusing to participate in or help perpetuate the hostilities generated by opposing sides … hostilities that are directed against each other … has something of an ostracizing effect.

I remind myself of what Jesus said of his followers.

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.”

It is hard being a peacemaker in this modern environment full of heated anger-driven hostilities. Yet, being a peacemaker in this anger-filled world is not an option for those who profess to be believers in and followers of Christ.

The Beatitudes contained in Matthew 5:1-12 are not a set of ethereal platitudes to be slighted by overlooking or ignoring them. They are not a buffet where we pick what pleases us. The Beatitudes are a description of the collective combined character traits of each individual who chooses to answer Christ’s call to embrace him and to allow his Spirit to indwell them. Where we are lacking in the development of these character traits, the onus is on us to pick up the pace and develop where we are lacking.

We are to both be and do the Beatitudes. By being and doing the Beatitudes we model Christ before the world. By being and doing the Beatitudes, the Holy Spirit produces his fruit both within us and through us in the face of those who, in their rejection of Christ and his commandments, feed their passions and, in so doing, produce and propagate the works of the flesh. [Galatians 5:16-24] Being and doing the Beatitudes makes us the salt and light that Jesus insists that his followers are to be.

Detachment is a beautiful thing. The more we detach from the world and its craziness, the more interior peace we discover. The more we are able to detach from the world and its craziness, the more we develop in our interior peace, the more capable we are of modeling Christ before the world.

I long for a world that is a lot gentler and more compassionate. It is not enough to long for it. I must be willing to be the change that I long to see.

Seek peace. Keep the faith. Pray and persevere.