Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:9-10

Since World War II Canada has sent soldiers on many peacekeeping missions. At first glance this may seem relatively safe but its not. Its dangerous and complicated.

A few years ago I brought a young man out for a visit to one of my farms. He was a Canadian soldier who had served in Afghanistan. It was a cool fall day and it was raining lightly. The employees on site were feeding the fish. I remember the first thing he said as we stepped out onto the cages and he had a look around.

“This is a calm workplace”, he said

I looked at him to try and judge what he meant “Well, no one’s shooting at us here if that’s what you mean”

I don’t envy anyone who has to keep the peace between two belligerents or a warlord and his prey. To stand out in the open and only be able to defend yourself after you’ve been shot at or bombed, or to watch atrocities while you wait for politicians thousands of miles away decide what to do or not do. I can’t even imagine how hard that would be.

Today and all year long I am thankful for the soldiers who have stood up to protect us in whatever mission they’ve been given whether peacekeeping or all out war.

Peacekeeping has its place when an army hasn’t been given the authority to attack another nation. But I find that the Church in North America seems to be on a unauthorised peacekeeping mission. We tend to stay in our camps and watch the world burning all around us. We might get involved in a small skirmish here and there but for some reason we stay out of the war.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace - Imagine, John Lennon

In his song, John Lennon described a place with no heaven, no hell, no religion and people “living for today”. The government of North Korea is trying to make that a reality. There is no peace in North Korea for the church to keep.

Peacemaking is the church’s only option and this at the risk of their lives. Here we have the option to live our private lives and observe the world. The worrisome truth is that we have been given the authority and orders to fight. At best we supply money and arms to our brothers and sisters in the trenches and let them fight their guerrilla war.

I have a feeling that someday while we are saying “peace and safety” destruction will come on us suddenly. Part of me fears that day and hopes it will happen long after I am dead and gone. Another part of me aches for that day when I am forced out of mediocrity and tepid Christianity.

Fractal church

I heard this analogy from my pastor a few sundays ago.
Have you ever stuck your face in one of those cut outs of a body builder? You know the ones where you get your picture taken and it looks so silly to see your skinny little face sitting on the shoulders of a huge mesomorphic body. Everyone has a good laugh when they look at the photo because it looks so obvious that the head doesn't go with the body.

Now picture Jesus Christ as the head and the church as the body. Would it look silly? Or fill you with awe? Would outsiders think the two fit together seamlessly or do they even fit together at all? Maybe part of the body would look like it fits, maybe one arm is withered and a leg is dragging limp and dead. That's if the parts are even connected. Not funny... just sad.

A few posts ago I included a video of some mathematics visualizations. If you watch the one at the end you'll see what's called a fractal which is basically a pattern being repeated over and over again almost ad infinitum. Every piece demonstrates similarity to the greater pattern. You have seen examples of fractals in nature as well; in the clouds, in a bolt of lightning and plants.

I believe Jesus Christ is calling us to be part of His body in the same way. We are called Christians which means "little Christ". Little carbon copies of Jesus Christ. Is that what we are? Do we act like Him, watch the things He watched, and say the things He said or have we become more like the world? We need to be transformed into His likeness so that when the world looks at us they see Him, when they look at our congregation they see Him, when they look at the church in Canada they see Him and when they look at the Church in the world they see Him.

In most cases today the opposite is true, Christians and congregations conforming to the world's pattern, denominations fractured or helter-skelter and bolted together like a Frankenchurch. Useless and dead. The good news is (and it's as frightening as it is comforting) that He's coming and His winnowing fork is in His hand. He will seperate the chaff from the wheat and what's left of the church will be bound together in perfect unity.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. - John 15:5-8