A news article caught my eye yesterday. It was about the summit between U.S. President Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who was visiting the United States. The article highlighted a moment of warmth and mutual respect, where President Lee praised President Trump for his efforts and achievements as a global peacemaker. He specifically acknowledged the crucial role of the United States in navigating the complex geopolitical relationships between South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and China, and urged President Trump to continue being a force for peace in that region.
As I read this, one word stood out and lingered in my thoughts: peacemaker.
It prompted me to look away from the world stage and into the mirror of my own life, and I want to ask you to do the same today. In our own spheres of influence—in our homes with our families, at our workplaces with our colleagues, in our schools, in our church community, and in our neighborhoods—what role do we play? Are we known as peacemakers? Or are we, perhaps unintentionally, troublemakers? Or are we something else entirely—silent bystanders who choose not to get involved?
The questions are convicting, because our Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth as the true and ultimate Peacemaker.
The peace Jesus brings is not like the peace of the world, which is often just a temporary absence of conflict or a fragile, negotiated truce. The peace of Christ is the biblical concept of shalom—a deep, divine wholeness, wellness, and harmony. Jesus didn’t come to just manage conflict; He came to resolve it at its very root. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He tore down the wall of hostility that separated us from God, reconciling us to our Creator. He made peace through His blood (Colossians 1:20).
This is the heart of the gospel. We, who were once alienated from God, have been brought near and given a peace that surpasses all understanding. But it doesn’t stop there. Having received this incredible gift of peace, we are now called to be its carriers. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus declared, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).
Being a peacemaker is not a passive role; it is an active calling. It means stepping into moments of tension with grace. It means being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. It means offering forgiveness when it isn’t deserved, just as we were forgiven. It means building bridges of understanding where there are walls of division. In our families, our workplaces, and our communities, we are called to be agents of reconciliation, reflecting the peace that we have first received from Christ.
So let us ask ourselves again: Are we peacemakers? By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, may we be worthy of being called the children of God by actively sowing His peace wherever we go.
