When There Is No Peace

Sometimes people try to sugarcoat hard truths. And when you try to bring up the difficult situation, some folks would rather gaslight you by pretending it’s not so bad. Humans have done this for millennia. Listen to God challenging the people 2500 years ago:

They dress the wound of my people
    as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
    when there is no peace. - Jeremiah 6:14

When Jesus blesses the peacemakers in the Sermon on the Mount, he certain wasn’t blessing those who ignored tough realities. He blessed the peacemakers not the peacekeepers. As so many of us who’ve been on the margins know, to make peace, you have to work at it. It does not come easy.

Take a moment right now and name to God one or two situations from your own life where there’s tension between people. Just by naming it, you’re doing one of the key things - you’re facing reality, not pretending.

Now take a moment and name to God one or two situations from the world where the tension really bothers you. Again, be honest, even if you have no idea how to make it better.

Already you’ve taken a step today. Jesus sees your efforts.