Jesus tells us that peacemakers are blessed.

Peace in the Bible is not a negative, the absence of hostilities, but rather a positive that includes everything necessary for human flourishing. It is a holistic word. Peace comes when our physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual needs are met.

In our world, we need an end to hostilities between different identity groups, whether from the right or the left. We need justice, but rioting and looting has to stop. People need to build or rebuild businesses so owners and employees can find dignity and make a living. Stable communities need intact families and neighbors that know each other and look out for each other.

And above all, we need Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

We need Christian peacemakers. In our day, that means we need to be all things to all people, and especially to weep with those who weep. We do not need to tell hurting people that they have no right to hurt, that their complaints have no merit, or that their problems are their own fault.

But it’s no accident that “blessed are the peacemakers” is immediately followed by “blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness.” In a world full of hate, peacemaking won’t make you popular. It may even kill you. In ancient Rome, a monk named Telemachus tried to stop a gladiatorial match and end the violence; instead, the gladiators killed him. But his sacrifice so appalled the Romans that they ended gladiatorial contests forever.

Peacemaking isn’t likely to make you friends. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t necessary, especially today.