I admit it it – I am Canadian by birth.
One of these social norms, that carried with it a certain nationalistic pride, was the Canadian armed forces . It was commonly understood that the Canadian armed forces were principally a
peace keeping force throughout troubled areas of our planet.Making Peace for Our Benefit
Fast forward to 2001. I had moved to the USA and was living in a small town in the Texas panhandle. The towers had just fallen and the church I was attending had a special meeting to hear what the President had to say about this. The nation I was living in was going to hunt all terrorists down. The populace demanded peace and security. I felt the national pride oozing out of my friends and understood their desire for defending their nation.
But, as a Christian, I was confused. I had been brought up within a peace keeping society, and was now I lived in a nation that has been involved in warfare for 214 of 235 yrs of existence. (see bottom of post for further information)
Peace Keeper or Peace Maker
Imagine my surprise when I read the Masters words (without the group dynamic of believers cheering on a social norm). His words are simple and incredibly challenging, not only for a believer in America, but also for a Canadian believer. You see, He didn’t say…
Blessed are the peacekeepers: for they shall be called the children of God. Nope – nice try but that’s not what He said.
Lets read what He said
Matthew 5:9
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Believers are to make peace. Being a peace keeper or at least being associated as one, was not His intent.
Some may say that His intent was only to direct the believer in their personal relationships, foster peace among friends, but this seems to unnecessarily compartmentalized His words, dontcha think?
Maybe He meant “Blessed are the peacemakers (cept for situations where the enemy has done something bad)”.
Duh, that don’t make no sense. It’s easy, even pleasurable to be at peace with those who at peace with you.
It is important to remember that as believers we have become followers of another King, and that any time a conflict between an earthly king and our Heavenly King becomes apparent, we must follow Him. When the nation we live in decides to pursue military action, as believers we have the privilege of praying for the safety of all those involved, and relieving those who have suffered due to the conflict.
Do we have the freedom to kill or hurt?
Matthew 5: 9
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
As an aside, consider the list “American involvement in warfare” at the bottom of the post, and reflect on the effectiveness of using violence to engender enduring peace.
Of course, Jesus was speaking to His followers when He gave these instructions, and not to government power.
Government power ultimately used violence/war to shut Him up.
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American involvement in warfare
- The American Revolution
1775-1783 - The Indian Wars
1775-1890 - Shay’s Rebellion
1786-1787
Rebellion
Anti-(state)Government Rebels vs. Massachusetts - The Whiskey Rebellion
1794
Rebellion
Anti-Tax Rebels in Western Pennsylvania - Quasi-War With France
1798-1800
Inter-State (Naval) War
France - Fries’s Rebellion “The Hot Water War”
1799
Rebellion
Anti-Tax Rebels in Pennsylvania - The Barbary Wars
1800-1815
Inter-State War
The Barbary States
(Tripoli, Algiers & Morocco) - The War of 1812
1812-1815
Inter-State War
Great Britain
The Growing & Troubled Republic - Mexican-American War
1846-1848
Inter-State War
Mexico - U.S. Slave Rebellions
1800-1865
Slave Rebellions
Various Slave groups - “Bleeding Kansas”
1855-1860
Civil War (state of Kansas)
Pro-Slavery vs. Anti-Slavery Kansans - Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry
1859
Rebellion
Anti-Slavery Rebels (Led by John Brown) - United States Civil War
1861-1865
Civil War
United States (The North)
vs.
The Confederate States (The South) - U.S. Intervention in Hawaiian Revolution
1893
Internal Rebellion & Foreign Intervention - The Spanish-American War
1898
Inter-State War - U.S. Intervention in Samoan Civil War
1898-1899
Civil War & Foreign Intervention - U.S.-Philippine War
1899-1902
Colonial War, War of Imperialism - Boxer Rebellion
1900
Internal Rebellion & Foreign Intervention
Chinese Government & “Boxer” Rebels - The Moro Wars
1901-1913
Colonial Wars
Philippine Muslim Rebels - U.S. Intervention in Panamanian Revolution
1903
Secessionist Revolution & Foreign Intervention
Colombia - The Banana Wars
1909-1933
Civil Wars & Foreign Intervention
Various Rebel Groups In Central America - U.S. Occupation of Vera Cruz
1914
Inter-State War
Mexico - Pershing’s Raid Into Mexico
1916-1917
Inter-State, Border War
Mexican Government & Mexican Rebels (“Bandits”) - World War I
1917-1918 (American involvement only)
Inter-State War
Germany - Allied Intervention in Russian Civil War
1919-1921
Civil War & Foreign Intervention
Russian Bolshevik (Soviet) Government - World War II
1941-1945 (American involvement only)
Inter-State War
Germany, Japan & Italy - The Cold War
1945-1991
Global Inter-State Cold War
The Soviet Union & Communist China - The Korean War
1950-1953
Inter-State War
North Korea & China - The Second Indochina War “Vietnam War”
1956-1975
Civil War, Inter-State War
North Vietnam & South Vietnamese “Viet Cong” Rebels - U.S. Intervention in Lebanon
1958
Civil War & Foreign Intervention
No real foe for U.S. Troops landed to support Lebanon Gov. - Dominican Intervention
1965
Civil War & Foreign Intervention
Rebels in the Dominican Republic - The Mayaguez Rescue Operation
- News Story 1975 (May 15)
Hostage Rescue & Inter-State Conflict
Khmer Rouge Guerrillas (the new government of Cambodia) - Iranian Hostage Rescue “Desert One” or “Operation Eagle Claw”
1980 (April 25)
Hostage Rescue & Inter-State Conflict
Iran - U.S. Libya Conflict
1981, 1986
Inter-State War
Libya - U.S. Intervention in Lebanon
1982-1984
Civil War,Foreign Intervention & Inter-State War
Syria & Various Muslim and Leftist Lebanese Militias - U.S. Invasion of Grenada
1983
Inter-State War
Marxist Grenadian Faction & Cuba - The Tanker War
- “Operation Earnest Will”
1987-1988
Inter-State War
Iran - U.S. Invasion of Panama
1989
Inter-State War
Panama - Second Persian Gulf War “Operation Desert Storm”
1991
Inter-State War
Iraq - “No-Fly Zone” War
1991-2003
Inter-State War
Iraq - U.S. Intervention in Somalia
1992-1994
Civil War & Foreign Intervention
Various Somali Militias - NATO Intervention in Bosnia (Operation Deliberate Force) Summary
1994-1995
Civil War,Foreign Intervention & Inter-State War
Bosnian Serb Rebels - U.S. Occupation of Haiti
1994
Foreign Intervention
Haitian Government - U.S. Embassy bombings and strikes on Afghanistan and Sudan (The bin Laden War)
August, 1998
Terrorist Conflict - “Desert Fox” Campaign (part of U.S./Iraq Conflict)
December, 1998
Inter-State War
Iraq - Kosovo War
1999
Civil War, Foreign Intervention & Inter-State War
Yugoslavia/Serbia - Attack on the USS Cole
October 12, 2000
Terrorist Conflict
Terrorists associated with Osama bin Laden - Attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
September 11, 2001
Terrorist Conflict
Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida organization - Afghanistan War (Operation Enduring Freedom)
October 7, 2001-Present
War against Terrorism
The Taliban and Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaida organization - Third Persian Gulf War “Operation Iraqi Freedom”
March 19, 2003-Present
Inter-State War
Iraq
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