“Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.”
— The Gospel According to Matthew 5:9

In a makeshift tent in central Gaza City, occupational therapists of Princess Basma continue their work after the last hospital was destroyed — caring tirelessly for physically and mentally disabled children, and those newly injured in the war, who cannot leave. Despite the devastation, they remain, steadfast in their commitment to stand by every child who depends on them. (Photo by Princess Basma Center)

In the second week of April, the boards of directors of GBHEM and the General Board of Global Ministries met to receive reports and plan for the future. The theme for the meeting was “Blessed Are the Peacemakers.” It was uplifting to hear speakers from different cultural contexts share their experiences of peace. The message they consistently shared was that peace is not the absence of conflict. Instead, peace is the presence of a state of wholeness in which we know others are treated fairly, and their humanity is recognized and respected.

Too often, we think of peace as the absence of conflict. We invest in avoiding disagreements at any cost. Some build a team of people they know will not disagree with them, even when they know that by doing so, they will be deprived of the gifts of diversity. We know this is not peace. I have witnessed situations in which there was no visible conflict, but everyone in the room felt anxiety as if they were sitting on pins and needles. We know this is not peace.

Peace comes when we commit to making things right, to making things whole. This happens when we honor the sacred in others and work together for the well-being of our community. Mother Theresa prayed for peace with these words,

Lead me from the unreal to the real,
Lead me from darkness to light,
Lead me from death to life,
Lead me from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace.
Let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe.
Peace. Peace. Peace.
(Mother Theresa, adapted from the Upanishads)

As this year winds down and the realities of a new one loom, may we become peacemakers, and even more, may the peace of God fill our hearts and minds as we set out to welcome what is to come. Amen.

Rev. Eduardo Bousson
Senior Manager, Collegiate Ministries
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
The United Methodist Church