Good Morning,

I’ve been a conflict avoider for most of my life. If I’m reading a novel and the protagonist is about to do something really stupid, I have to put the book down for a few minutes or hours (or days) before continuing. If two people are arguing, I either back slowly out of the room or try to calm everyone down. If I’m asked to do something controversial, I can give you a list of every reason someone might get upset. And don’t even get me started on unspoken tension in a room.

For the longest time I thought that avoiding conflict led to peace. If we could all just get along, agree to disagree, and stop arguing, all the world’s problems would be solved. We could finally fulfill every child’s dream of achieving World Peace.

Unfortunately, the years have taught me that avoiding conflict ultimately creates less peace. But if peace isn’t the absence of conflict, what is it?

This Sunday’s beatitude is “Blessed are the Peacemakers,” and we’re going to explore what Jesus had in mind when he talked about peace.

See you Sunday,

Rachel