Blessed are the Peacemakers …
Many of us have felt the weight of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly the violence connected to Israel and Palestine. The history is complex, the suffering is real, and the emotions are strong. Behind political arguments and media commentary are ordinary people made in God’s image — families grieving, communities fearful, lives disrupted.
As a church, we are not called to offer simplistic political solutions to deeply complicated geopolitical realities. It’s important to try to understand situations like this to the best of our ability: to investigate, talk with others and ask questions. But we are called to ask a distinctly Christian question:
How should followers of the Lord Jesus respond in a divided and volatile world with the repercussions of what’s happening overseas being felt here in our own city?
For while the conflict may be geographically distant, the tensions are not. Polarisation, suspicion, sharp rhetoric and social media outrage are very much present around us. In such a climate, we want to be intentional about living as disciples of Christ. Here are a few thoughts, you may have others
Firstly we need to remember who we belong to. In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus says: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
Peacemaking is not naïve. It doesn’t ignore injustice or pretend evil is insignificant. Rather, it is the costly, courageous work of reflecting the character of our heavenly Father. Before we are commentators, we are Christians. Before we are aligned with any political instinct or national loyalty, we belong to Christ and his kingdom. That identity must shape how we speak, how we listen, and how we conduct ourselves in contested conversations.
Secondly, we refuse to dehumanise. Conflict thrives on dehumanisation. People become categories; nuance disappears; compassion evaporates. Scripture doesn’t allow us to think this way. Every person — Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, Christian or secular — bears the image of God. Every life lost is a tragedy.
Two weeks ago, as we kicked off our year of Renewal, we reflected on Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:16: “From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” Because of Christ’s love, which controls us and means we don’t live for ourselves but for Him who died and was raised again, we no longer reduce people to labels, tribes, or political identities. We see them as those for whom Christ died. That doesn’t mean moral questions disappear. It does mean we guard our hearts carefully. Jesus warns of the danger of unrighteous anger (Matthew 5:21–22). In an age of outrage, Christians must be marked by measured speech and deep compassion.
Thirdly, we’re called to pray and live peaceably. Paul urges believers that “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people… for kings and all those in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). Prayer is that active trust in the sovereign God who rules the nations.
We pray for the protection of the innocent, for restraint of violence, for wisdom among leaders, and for the strengthening of believers in difficult places. And here at home, we take seriously Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:18: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” We can’t control global events, but we can control our posture. In a polarised culture, that means: We listen carefully, refuse inflammatory rhetoric; we avoid reposting outrage, show hospitality across difference and ensure that disagreements do not fracture Christian fellowship.The credibility of our gospel witness in our own community is shaped by how we conduct ourselves when issues are emotionally charged.
Ultimately, our confidence isn’t in diplomacy or force, but in Christ himself. As Paul writes, “He himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). In his cross and resurrection, Jesus has begun gathering a people from every nation into one reconciled family. And, as Paul declared to the people of Athens, God has “set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:31). On that day, the Prince of Peace will bring the peace this world cannot achieve. Until then, may we be known as his people — prayerful, peaceable, and unmistakably shaped by the gospel.
If you are feeling grief, anger, confusion, or weariness — that is understandable. Bring those emotions to God. Pray for those affected. Resist the pull toward cynicism or hostility. Instead let us commit ourselves to being known for Christlike love, courageous peacemaking, thoughtful speech, and deep trust in the Lord.