"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God"
Matthew 5:9

When my mind encounters the work of making peace  I always see in my mind's eye a news broadcast where a large hotel is being demolished. I saw the demolition of a seventeen story building on TV.  Charges of dynamite were placed at stress points in the building.  In 12 seconds a building which had taken over two years to build was destroyed.  It just fell in upon itself.

I was appointed to a church in downtown Durham, NC and was studying the church's history as it was presented in the different record books in the church office.  At the present time the church was in a 25 year decline.  I was reading the Sunday school Record.  The church at one time had an attendance in Sunday School of over 500 members per week. So much so that they needed a new building and built a building which would cost over 5 million dollars today.

The record showed that in one week's time the attendance dropped 200.  As I kept looking I could never find the return to the former level.

I was visiting in the home of one of the leaders not long after that and asked what had happened in the church in the summer of 1967. The church split over the racial issue.

A minister and college professor who was associated with the church was a leader in integrating the races. He was disturbed that this large inter city church was closed to blacks. One Sunday while the congregation was worshipping inside he held a communion service on the front steps of the sanctuary  with people of all races in attendance. The TV media was there, and it made front page in the local newspaper. There was a great deal of embarrassment on the part of the church.  It brought to head a problem that had existed for years.  There was an immediate split in the congregation.  It had never recovered.  What had taken a hundred years to build was destroyed in a matter of minutes.

A person who a rebuilds a building is called a construction person   ... a creative re-designer of buildings.  The person who put relationships back together is called a Peacemaker ...  a healer.

  HAPPY ARE THE PEACEMAKERS FOR THEY ARE DOING THE WORK OF GOD!

First, I want to talk about becoming a peacemaker.  It begins by coming to peace with yourself.

Secondly,  I want to talk about building peace between individuals who are at odds with each other.

First: Before peace can be built between persons it is necessary to help individuals to find peace with themselves.  This can happen only when the peacemaker has found his/her own peace. 

Most humans are burdened with mistakes,  hurts, and feelings of inadequacy within themselves that  make it almost impossible for them to become a peacemaker.  Some of this baggage comes from childhood, and teenage periods in one's life.   Some are 20, 30, or many more years old.  The days are long gone when you can do anything about it.  Yet, you still hold on to the results.   Deal with yourself before you can help others.

For an individual to move ahead they must give up that which is dragging them down. The individual changes as they change their life.  

Earl was going broke by degrees in a local grocery business. In desperation he was forced  out of  business.  He sought  professional advice on the best use of his building and site for a new business. . It was recommended that this corner would be an excellent place for a Fast Food Restaurant. He put in chicken, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and Bar B Q.  Money came rolling in.

Said he: "Almost going broke was the best thing which ever happened to me. It made me make changes I needed to make."   He found a new peace by giving up something in his life. 

Most individuals are bound up with baggage they have been carrying for years.  To discover what that baggage is and to give it up will set the stage for coming to peace with self.  People who are not at peace with themselves are able to love themselves and wish for themselves the very best.

  Blessed are the Peacemakers...

II. A peacemaker is one who helps individuals look for the best in their relationships with others. .

  In order to understand peacemakers it is essential to define peace. The Hebrew word for peace is Shalom.

SHALOM.... IS WISHING FOR A PERSON THE BEST OF ALL THINGS.00 People at peace with themselves can help others find peace.  Never forget that temporary set backs of pain, hurt, and disappointment may line the road to peace.  That's life!  Helping people look for the best is a great accomplishment.

 Remember:  TRUE PEACE COMES WHEN ONE DEALS honestly WITH LIFE.

    In broken relationships there are only guilty parties.   There is no such thing as a guilty and un- guilty participant. The task of the peacemaker is a difficult one. One seeks to help find the very best for all parties in the pain of life.  Sometimes It takes a great deal of time, patience and understanding.   The building of human relationships is closely akin to the building of a building.

If the peacemaker is insecure and out to prove themselves they can easily be tempted in choosing sides and try to establish who is right and who is wrong.  The peacemaker will be pulled from both sides. They can never take sides or they will become part of the problem.   When this happens the relationship is destroyed and there is little chance of rebuilding the relationship.

Trying to help rebuild broken  relationships has the potential of being about as dangerous as trying to put a band-aid on an injured Tiger.

A peacemaker  attempts to find a mutual ground between two contributing parties.  Most of the time both parties have to give up something in order to gain peace.  Otherwise there is no chance for the relationship to be rebuilt.

We live in a day when peacemakers are needed as never before. The world is filled with broken relationships. One of he most beautiful experiences is to watch the relationship building  process in action.  The tragedy of broken relationships is that they cause pain for many innocent others.

With 50% of families being divorced today ... there is a great field in need of peacemakers.  Broken families cause pain for the couple and the children. 

 They sat there, the two of them, unconsciously bonding themselves together. One was seventeen years old, and the other only three. They were half sisters. They had never seen each other before this day. It was Christmas and the family was all home for the holiday.  Not only had they been separated by 1,700 miles, parental problems, and years of age but also by a stepmother/mother who was not excited about them getting together. The older sister stroked the hair of the younger. Between the strokes they shared a donut, and a common cup of soft drink. All the while they were watching TV. The younger girl's mother missed the noise she usually made and came into the Den. She looked stunned. Her body language denoted a strong desire to "break it up". She started to make a statement. I was watching what was happening and seized the moment to divert the mother's attention by asking a question ... "Are you getting used to us Southerners?" I asked?  

The mother's mind was diverted. The smaller child asked for a drink and the older sister placed the glass to her lips, and then she drank also. The mother was very uncomfortable with what was happening but mustered a nervous smile and she withdrew to the kitchen.  A new relationship was born there that morning between two half-sisters.   Peace was made.

Sometimes the work of the peace maker is enabling two people trying to renew their relationship do so.  A meal, a conversation, and just keeping them together for a little while can allow things to happen that will renew peace among them.

My challenge for you today is to be  a child of God ...so the seeds of best wishes everywhere you go.