Matthew 5:21-24
The Good Shepherd, who gives his life for the flock and has other sheep not of this fold, is Christ, our peace, who has conquered death and broken down the walls of division that separate humanity. His presence, his gift and his victory continue to shine through the perseverance of many witnesses through whom God’s work carries on in the world, becoming even more visible and radiant in the darkness of our times. The contrast between darkness and light is not only a biblical image describing the labor pains of a new world being born; it is also an experience that unsettles us and affects us amid the trials we face in our historical circumstances. In order to overcome the darkness, it is necessary to see the light, and believe in it. This is a call that Jesus’ disciples are invited to live in a unique and privileged way; yet it also finds its way into every human heart. Peace exists; it wants to dwell within us. It has the gentle power to enlighten and expand our understanding; it resists and overcomes violence. Peace is a breath of the eternal: while to evil we cry out “Enough,” to peace we whisper “Forever.” Into this horizon the Risen One has led us. Sustained by this conviction, even amid what Pope Francis called “a third world war fought piecemeal” peacemakers continue to resist the spread of darkness, standing as sentinels in the night. – Pope Leo XIV
Our word for this week is peace. We have a general impression that peace is God’s way for the world, but we don’t always have the evidence that this is true, or that peace is even possible. When we turn to the Bible to teach us about peace, we have a difficult starting place. The Hebrew scriptures, which reflect very ancient cultures, support both peace and war. There are stories of God’s people conquering the promised land, defeating neighbors and taking their lands as God’s gift to them. Some even report God’s anger when the people win a war and don’t slaughter every one of their opponents. Their God seems violent and vengeful, and if we focus on those stories, then God seems to be on the side of battle. Let’s put those most ancient stories into perspective. They are “origin stories” rising from the pre-history of a very ancient people, more than 4000 years ago. They are not history recorded contemporaneously, but remembered over generations which pass the stories down, perhaps embellishing them along the way. What’s important isn’t so much the facts, but the meaning people found in the stories. The people of Israel were wandering tribes which over time followed their flocks and moved into the territory of other groups in what’s now Israel. There undoubtedly were skirmishes as the bands argued over who would control which pieces of land and occasional attempts to take good pastures away from neighbors. Over time our ancestors believed the good land was indeed a gift from God, that their success in holding it was due to God’s favor, and their victories were signs of God’s blessing. They became the primary occupants of a nation.
Three thousand years ago that nation was located on major trade routes between what we now know as the Middle East and Egypt. As empires rose and fell and influence over centuries, many of the armies they raised traveled right through this route as they fought for power. The prophets of the time knew that their people would be called to battle and even conquered. They interpreted the losses they experiences from larger empires as God’s judgment on the nation – often pointing out that abuse of the poor and disadvantaged among them resulted in national losses. Just as God had gifted them the land, God could take it away at the hands of invaders if they didn’t care for one another, worshiping wealth and power instead of God. In a time when war was common among nations, the Hebrews developed these ways of understanding why they happened and how they should respond both to the wars themselves and their outcomes.
Two thousand years ago Jesus lived under Pax Romana or the peace of Rome. This was a peace imposed by violence. The roads were relatively safe and the economy was strong because of widespread trade, but that was because soldiers were everywhere and dissent was crushed. It was a peace that was not peaceful. In that atmosphere, Jesus had things to say about peace. At the end of his ministry when he was violently arrested, but insisted that his followers not fight back, healing the ear of a soldier when one of the disciples wounded him. In reality, fighting wouldn’t have made a difference against overpowering force. When you are a conquered people without recourse or political power, you resist under the radar by the way you live your daily life. So early in his ministry Jesus laid out a vision of peace which we read in our scripture lesson: make peace with each other, avoid quarrels, apologize to each other, learn to get along, practice nonviolence. Those are some of the teachings which shape our understanding of peace today.
Beginning in the fourth century CE Christian leaders began to shape a response to the many wars around them based on the way they understood Jesus. St. Augustine of Hippo formed the beginning of what’s been called “Just War Theory.” The first part of this theory outlines when war is justified. It requires those who go to war to be on defense, never the aggressor. It asks questions like: Do we have a chance of winning? Will we be able to protect civilians from harm? Will the benefit be greater than the cost? In recent history World War II is seen as a just war, defending the world from the Axis aggressors. Other recent wars are less clearly just. The second part of the theory describes the way war is waged if it can’t be avoided: Can civilians be protected? Is the use of force limited to what is absolutely necessary? Is the goal to quickly come to peace? I leave you to think about how recent wars meet those criteria. In recent conversation about whether or not the war in Iran is a just war, the criteria applied seem to be more about who is stronger and who has the right to be more powerful.
It seemed good to find a statement about peace from Pope Leo XIV to inform this conversation since he’s found himself pulled into the discussion about whether or not our current war is necessary. He, of course, says no. The statement we read today was from a sermon more than a year ago, so his position on peace isn’t new or targeted at recent aggressions. It’s based on the firm belief that Jesus wants to give us peace – personally, in our hearts and minds, in our daily interactions, and in the world. By following Jesus’ example and loving one another as he loves, we are able to live in peace.
There are those who say that human nature is prone to evil or violence, to excesses of power and abuses of privilege and therefore war is inevitable. That may be true. But those who follow Jesus aren’t constrained by the realities of this current life. Instead we believe that life can be made new. We look toward an afterlife in heaven which will be perfect, without conflict or pain. But Jesus himself wasn’t focused on promises to be fulfilled after death. He believed in what was possible in community now and taught people new ways of thinking and living together that made life better in the present. Rather than give in to the inevitability of war, Christians hold up the possibility of peace and work toward learning the skills that make peace possible: negotiation, forgiveness, compromise, mutual respect…
This week we celebrated the 81st anniversary of the gathering which established the United Nations. It took place while World War II was still raging. Nations gathered to talk about what peace should look like when it happened. They set out principles, including the principles of just war, to guide their interactions on the international stage. They described ways to cooperate, to avoid conflict, to describe war crimes so they could be avoided.
It’s easy to say war is inevitable, but it’s also true that throughout history people of good faith have worked to limit war. To provide places for conversation so differences can be managed before war begins. To agree to humanitarian guidelines to minimize the damage caused by war. To build strong communities across national boundaries so peace can thrive. It is indeed the duty of the Pope to remind the world that peace is the goal and war should be avoided whenever possible. And it’s the duty of those of us who follow Jesus to reinforce that teaching. To call leaders to account when war is too easy and international guidelines are ignored. To believe that peace is possible and then to make peace possible by living into peace in our lives and demanding peace in our national life.