Peacemaking is often a highly
idealized skill that is rarely enacted, especially where justice is concerned.
In fact, one might begin to wonder when and where it is enacted in a world
where violence, power-struggles and end-justifying-means have become the ways
of human survival. I think we first have
to come to terms with what justice is presently compared to what it should
be.
Blind Justice
Justice itself has been widely misrepresented and misinterpreted
as only being done effectively when it is blind or impartial to both parties. This
justice has long been represented by the Justitia statue. It is a statue of woman who while
blindfolded holds the balancing scales of justice in one hand and a sword in
the other. This is supposed to represent
an objective ruler who does not judge based on fear or favor, but rather seeks
to weigh evidence thereby justly taking sides and using the authority of the
sword to retributively give someone the due punishment for their offense. Perhaps this is the main reason we
westerners have lost the mediating ability in our social practices.[1] As David Augsburger suggests, this has created
loss of intimacy where one relies on bureaucratic court systems that by nature
are impersonal, uncaring, costly and personally unproductive. Moreover, this alien intrusion into personal
lives has taken up adjudicating over mediating which in turn has caused
disputants to keep affairs private. This privatization alone creates a new set
of liabilities. Without the mediating
reconciler intense confrontation can arise, one may subjectively coerce the
other and it can give way to manipulations and power struggles.[2] Nevertheless, it all becomes a detached way of dealing with
interpersonal problems that finds no real resolve in the matter. Moreover, it
then has the power to make life altering decisions for others based on
available evidence and hearsay but makes no room for restoring relationships.
Invested Justice
It cannot be more plainly stated than to say that love and justice should be indivisible. Throughout much of scripture love for God, love for each other and doing justice to others is the theme, action and standard by which humans are to live (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:43, 23:23; Lk. 11:42; Jn. 13:34). When we can care for one another in that way, we will finally be in a position to get to the heart of the matter. This brings the need for reconcilers who do not impartially asses and pass down judgment, but are those who can address the situation with clarity and thereby maintain love for both parties for restoring purposes. This is a justice that meets people in their specificity.
One example that illustrates this would be the parable of the “Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:11-32). We see a king’s son who demands his inheritance from his father and defiantly sets out to indulge in whatever he wants only to eventually squander it all. After famine sweeps through the land and he hires himself out to feed pigs, he has a moment of clarity. The son realizes that even his father’s servants were better off than he was. He gains the courage to return home so to ask for his father’s forgiveness and work for him as a servant. His father, however, did not let him even get to the house before running out to greet him celebrating the fact that his son was home by requesting his servants to prepare a gathering and then goes as far as to reestablished his son’s role as if he had never left. Can we actually call this justice? Yes, but only because the relationship defined the justice and when relational care is what informs the motive, mercy becomes the “must” of belonging. This is what Miroslav Volf calls God’s unjust justice which sees the rich, proud, conceited, lowly, poor and everyone in between as his cherished ones which he wishes to restore.[3] Therefore, when being a peacemaker we must remember to live concerned for everyone involved. Our social ethic is driven by our faithfulness to God and our faithfulness is represented by treating others in the same manner that our God has treated us (Matt, 18:21-35; Jn. 8:1-11).
It cannot be more plainly stated than to say that love and justice should be indivisible. Throughout much of scripture love for God, love for each other and doing justice to others is the theme, action and standard by which humans are to live (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:43, 23:23; Lk. 11:42; Jn. 13:34). When we can care for one another in that way, we will finally be in a position to get to the heart of the matter. This brings the need for reconcilers who do not impartially asses and pass down judgment, but are those who can address the situation with clarity and thereby maintain love for both parties for restoring purposes. This is a justice that meets people in their specificity.
One example that illustrates this would be the parable of the “Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:11-32). We see a king’s son who demands his inheritance from his father and defiantly sets out to indulge in whatever he wants only to eventually squander it all. After famine sweeps through the land and he hires himself out to feed pigs, he has a moment of clarity. The son realizes that even his father’s servants were better off than he was. He gains the courage to return home so to ask for his father’s forgiveness and work for him as a servant. His father, however, did not let him even get to the house before running out to greet him celebrating the fact that his son was home by requesting his servants to prepare a gathering and then goes as far as to reestablished his son’s role as if he had never left. Can we actually call this justice? Yes, but only because the relationship defined the justice and when relational care is what informs the motive, mercy becomes the “must” of belonging. This is what Miroslav Volf calls God’s unjust justice which sees the rich, proud, conceited, lowly, poor and everyone in between as his cherished ones which he wishes to restore.[3] Therefore, when being a peacemaker we must remember to live concerned for everyone involved. Our social ethic is driven by our faithfulness to God and our faithfulness is represented by treating others in the same manner that our God has treated us (Matt, 18:21-35; Jn. 8:1-11).
Life of a Peacemaker
Being a peacemaker is an essential role that characterizes the Christian
life. It is seen within the Beatitudes
when Christ says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God” (Matt. 5:9 NRSV). Something
to know about the Beatitudes is that they were contextually in a time where
Roman rule was heavily oppressing Israel. Zealots arose wanting to show that Israel
was in fact God’s children who could establish God's kingdom through military-like
violence and force against all opposing enemies.[4] I’d imagine this revolutionary-type thinking
became endemic by the simple fact that Christ feels
the need to state this.
Subsequently, the Beatitudes reveal themselves to actually be qualities
which will distinguish the life of those submitted to God, rather than being
some arbitrary conformity, or set of rules that Christ’s disciples are to live
up to. One should be reproducing what they
have seen the Father do and embody peace (Rom.16:20; 1Thes. 5:23; Heb. 13:20);
thus we can abandon all efforts to find retribution through the destruction of
enemies.[5] This kind of thinking is not appealing to the way we have been
conditioned to think, feel and respond because it requires vulnerability. People naturally look to protect
self-interest, so the idea of willingly setting aside personal interest so to
enter harm’s way for no other gain than for the betterment of those in conflict
is an uncomfortable process to want to execute.
Nevertheless, this is peacemaking and it can only happen when
genuine love for God and neighbor has so enveloped one inwardly that it
produces the life that brings God’s kingdom outwardly. This is justice God’s way.
[1]
For those of you wondering how I can say this when so many verses point to God
as the impartial judge, (Job, 34:19; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11 etc.) I am merely making the case that because of
God’s love for creation, there seems to be a paradoxal act of God having
impartial-partiality for everyone.
[2]
D. W. Augsburger. Conflict Mediation
Across Cultures (Louisville, KY: John Knox Press1992), 193.
[3] Miroslav Volf. Exclusion
and Embrace (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press 1996), 221-222.
[4]
Glen H. Stassen & David P. Gushee Kingdom
Ethics (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press 2003), 45.
[5]
Ibid.
This is full of timely thought provoking comments. Grace is spread throughout. We need more people in the Church that are willing as you say, to put themselves in harms way to initiate reconciliation between brothers.
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